Battlestar Victorious Volume 2: The Return Home
by Wes Imlay
Summary: Working alongside the Eastern Alliance,Battlestar Group 66 makes a return to the Twelve Colonies. With an uneasy truce in place and threats of Cylon attacks, the two sides must work together to rescue the prisoners being kept on the prison moon of Ostarsi
1. Chapter 1: Leaving Carillon

_**Author's Note: This story begins one day after the last chapter in Volume One. Timeline wise this story is about seven months after the fall of the Twelve Colonies.**_

ONE DAY LATER:

SOLACE:

Scott Tolan walked through the corridors of the hospital ship _Solace_ on his way to Emily's room. He had been so wrapped up in the events of the past few days that he hadn't had time to come by and see her. The appearance of the Eastern Alliance had changed plans dramatically. Kronus had reinstated him as the commanding officer of the_Victorious_, or at least made it official. He had also shuffled around executive officers. Captain Dana Gilbert of the _Sphinx_had been promoted to Colonel and moved to _Atlantia_ to replace Andre Graystone. Colonel Benjamin Adar had been reassigned to the_Achilles_, and Andre was allowed to become XO of the_Victorious_. One of the other personnel changes was the promotion of Travis Omega to Commander; he would be taking over command of the _Sphinx_.

He stood in the doorway and looked into the room, "You awake in there Andie?"

He heard a shuffling sound followed by footsteps, and then Andrea Graystone walked up to him in the doorway and wrapped her arms around his neck. After they hugged she leaned back against the opposite side of the doorway.

"Well Andie, I don't think I've seen you dressed this way in a long while." Tolan said as he took note of the jeans and t-shirt she was wearing.

"Figured before it became too obvious that I was pregnant I'd try on this old outfit of mine to see how it looked on me." She smiled at him, "Does the Admiral approve?"

"If you were still on active duty then I wouldn't approve at all, but since you're on leave now for the next seven months I do kind of like it. When did you get your hair cut? It was down to the middle of your back the last time I saw you, now it's barely meeting your shoulders."

"I had some cubits on me that I was going to use at the bar, but since that was out of the question I went to the first-class hair salon on _Olympica_ and got a trim."

Tolan nodded, "It really does look nice, you might want to keep it that way." He then decided to change the subject. "Have the doctors said anything else about Emily?"

Andrea sighed, "Nothing has changed, it sounds as though we're just going to have to wait and see what happens. The kids talk to her and seem to be more comfortable around her. The doctors say that Emily can't hear what we're saying to her, but the kids do it anyway. I don't know who they get that stubbornness from, you or her."

Tolan laughed, "I'm sure they get it from both of us. The Gods know that we both have it pretty bad. Though when I think of all the time I've spent around you and Andre I think the two of you got it just as much as Emily."

Andrea reached over and gave him a playful punch on his right arm, "I think it suits me just fine. Besides I also believe you're the only guy Emmy dated who wasn't afraid of me."

"You made it quite clear that first night at Graystone Manor just how much you liked me." He noticed Andie started to blush a little bit, "I see you remember exactly what I'm talking about."

The night that Scott Tolan had met the family, Andie stayed up while everyone else had retired for the evening. Scott was outside unlocking the door to his pickup when Andie walked up to him and asked if they could talk for a couple of minutes. He didn't think anything of it so he stood there and talked with her about different things. He finally told her he had to make it to his shuttle so that he could get back to the_Mercury_before reveille. It was then that she suddenly pushed up against him and gave him a kiss on the lips. His first impulse was to return it, but then he pushed her away and told her that he had to go. It was another three months until they saw each other again, Andie had apologized and blamed her behavior on the excessive amount of wine she drank that night.

"Oh…that, well Scott I had to test you to see just how faithful you were going to be to my sister. I may have still been a little resentful of her at the time, but mainly I was testing you. I might, and I do mean might, have come on a little bit strong because of the alcohol."

He looked at her skeptically, "Andie my date for the senior prom in high school got so drunk I had to carry her out to my car when the dance was over. She didn't even come close to coming on to me as strongly as you did that night."

Her face was now starting to turn a brighter shade of red, "Maybe I found you to be really attractive and on top of that you weren't some stuffed-shirt Major who was full of himself. Emily was lucky to find you, though if the two of you had broken up I'd have made a move for you regardless."

"You do have your moments Andie, that's for sure. Let me tell you about what happened yesterday."

Andie's face began to lose the reddish blush that it had taken on earlier, "The Eastern Alliance I'm guessing, it's the hottest rumor going around the Fleet." She looked back over to the bed where her sister lay, "With all we just talked about, I sure hope she can't hear anything."

STYX:

The door to the Solitary Ward opened up, which caught Hector Alonzo's attention. His mind had been going back to his last conversation with Scott Tolan. The man had actually forgiven him and would not try to get him executed. Over the past couple of days he had overheard the guards talking about William Arnold and Ken Bryson. They had said that the two men committed suicide, and it had been a real mess to clean up.

"Are you sleeping Hector?" The voice belonged to his wife Gloria.

"I'm awake Gloria, give me a second and I'll be there." He stood up and began to stretch. The bed in there wasn't the most comfortable one he'd ever slept on but it did the job. He walked over to the small viewing window in the cell door.

"I wanted to come and check on you, how are you doing?" Gloria's gaze held a mix of emotions.

"Considering the past few days I'm doing better just trying to keep my spirits up. Have you heard anything about what is going to happen to me?"

"The Admiralty voted on what to do with you, and they reached a decision." Standing behind Gloria was his son Christopher.

"It's good to see you Chris, where is Louise?" Hector tried to see if his little girl was there with them.

"I'm sorry Hector; she's back on the _Olympica_. This isn't quite a social call."

Hector was stunned, "Well then Gloria, just why are the two of you here?"

"We've come to say goodbye to you Dad. We're leaving Carillon in the next twenty-four hours."

"If we're leaving, then why are you saying goodbye to me?" His mind was looking for an answer, one that he was sure he wouldn't like.

"You're not coming with us Hector. The Admiralty voted to maroon you on Carillon along with all of the members of Demand Peace. You will be provided shelter and the means to survive but you won't have any way of leaving the planet. I'm sorry to tell you this Hector, but the events on_Olympica_ called for action of some sort and since you were in league with Demand Peace you have to be punished along with them." It was becoming obvious that Gloria was unable to hide her pain and disappointment.

"I can change Gloria; I will change if they just give me a chance. I'll retire from politics; I won't seek any sort of office. I'll be happy to just be a private citizen with you and the kids. I just don't want to be marooned on this planet. You need to plead with Kronus and Tolan. You have to save me!" He was losing his composure and becoming a desperate man

"I've wanted to her you say those words for so long Hector, but it's too late now. I can save Louise, I can save Christopher, and I can even save myself. The only thing I can't do is save you. It's too late for that Hector; there is no way to undo the riots and your collusion with those terrorists." Gloria walked away as tears began to fill her eyes. She couldn't bear to look at the man she had once loved so deeply.

Chris turned to follow his mother out of the room when his father called to him, "Don't leave yet Chris. I wanted to tell you something."

He walked back to the door where his father was still standing; looking more resigned to his fate now than he had been a minute ago.

"Chris I wanted to tell you how proud of you I am. I know I wasn't the best father and I wasn't always there for you. The Fleet did more for you than I could ever have hoped for. Just promise me one thing."

"Anything you want Dad, just give me the word."

"As you cross the river of life, make sure you walk on the rocks that I stumbled on. If anyone can redeem the Alonzo name it's you. I love you Chris, you've made me so proud to be your father." He began to feel the tears welling up in his eyes; he walked away from the door and lay back down on the bed to await the fate that he knew was coming.

ATLANTIA:

The four men sat at the table in the middle of the officer's mess on the Atlantia. John Kronus, Scott Tolan, Andre Graystone, and Magnus Ah-Mun were going over the plans for the big jump while drinking some of the Ale imported from _Olympica_.

"One of my Lieutenants, Darius James, has been imprisoned on Ostarsis for the past three months. It seems there is a small resistance group being ran by members of the Colonial Armed Forces. I'm talking about the Colonial Army, Marines, Fleet, and other branches that don't come to mind right away. After many failed attempts they finally managed to get the radio frequency that the Cylons use to communicate from the moon's surface to their basestars and other spacecraft. My last message to them was sent shortly before the Cylons tried to engage us in battle. We ran from them because at the end of the day we're pirates and not martyrs." Magnus paused and took a drink of ale from his glass, "I told them that as soon as I make contact with the Colonial Fleet I will send the message 'Climb Mt. Tibris' and then they can coordinate the rescue operations. I'll do that once we have returned to the Colonies."

"Sounds to me like you've thought this out well enough Magnus; all we need is for you to give us the jump coordinates for this secret Eastern Alliance base." Kronus set his glass down and looked at the pirate he had spent a few years trying to hunt down.

"There is one other matter that I wish to discuss before I leave here today. Do either of you or the other admirals have need for an aide? I know enough about the Colonial Fleet to know that the admirals usually have some sort of staff that assists with handling affairs in the task force." Magnus looked at the faces of Kronus and Tolan trying to gauge their reactions.

"I had to leave my staff at Aquaria, part of the secrecy involving my battle group's mission. I get by just fine, but it would be nice to get some assistance." Tolan said thoughtfully.

"I was a retired old warrior when the Cylons hit, and I believe none of us have any sort of staff officers. Do you have something in mind Magnus?" Kronus said, not letting his gaze shift from Ah-Mun

"I know the file on me is fairly empty, but I am a father like the rest of you. My daughter Stadra has been staying with me since the attack on the Colonies. How she got there is a long story, but I'll just say that her stepfather on Caprica was not acting very fatherly towards her and I had to intervene and take her away. Even though my life is one I have no regrets about, a pirate ship is not a place that I wish my daughter to remain. Quite a few of my crew lack the sophistication and manners that I possess. I would be most grateful if one of you gentlemen could take her on as your Chief-of-Staff. It would do plenty to put my mind at ease. She's a recent college graduate; she got her degree from the Business School of Caprica University. Do you believe this can be done?"

"You have a lot on your plate right now Scott. With Emily in the hospital, and looking after the triplets you have your hands more than full. Ms. Ah-Mun might help take some of that load off of you." Andre tried his best to impress upon his brother-in-law that this was a good idea.

"You have a deal Magnus. Have Stadra come to the _Victorious_ in the next hour to be fitted for her uniform and to report to the CIC after that."

"You are a good man Admiral Tolan; I am in your debt." Magnus then finished his drink and left the Officer's Mess with Admiral Kronus escorting him.

"I believe that I just agreed to have the daughter of the Eastern Alliance's leader come aboard my ship to serve as my Chief-of-Staff. I don't know if it was my judgment talking or the ale that I've been drinking." Tolan then downed the rest of his ale.

He and Andre then went to the raptor they had brought over to make their way to _Victorious_; the battestar was going to be making its first jump since they first came to Carillon.

FOUR HOURS LATER:

The senior staff of _Victorious_ was busy going over the systems in preparation for the jump back to the Colonies. The doors opened and in walked Stadra Ah-Mun. She had a thin frame that went well with her tall body. She had long black hair that was pulled back and the hazel eyes that undoubtedly came from her father.

"I'm here to see Admiral Tolan" She tentatively announced when the doors behind her had closed.

"You must be Ensign Ah-Mun." A young blonde haired woman said as she walked up to Stadra and offered her a handshake.

"Yes, I'm not quite used to being called an Ensign though. Who are you?" Stadra said as she shook hands with the woman.

"Lt. Jessica Jennings, I'm the Communications Officer for the _Victorious_. Admiral Tolan had to step away to deal with a matter that arose not too long ago. He was curious as to why you weren't here three hours ago." Jessica's voice was friendly; such a statement could have been said quite harshly.

"Trying to get all of my things together took longer than I had anticipated. Then the tailor in the uniform department didn't have my uniform ready right away."

"I'm sure he'll understand. Admiral Tolan can be quite flexible when it comes to enforcing the rules. I think that's part of what we like about him. He's not one of those Admirals who think they are all twelve Lords of Kobol rolled into one!" They both laughed at Jessica's comment.

"I'll wait here then, is there anything that I can help you with Lieutenant?"

Jessica thought for a couple of seconds, "I can think of a few things here at the Communications console that you can work on."

They walked over to the console and Jessica handed Stadra a manual, "Here on page 157 is a list of colored wires and switches that need to be checked before I turn my post here over from auxiliary power to main power."

"Sure...umm…Lieutenant?" Stadra didn't quite know how to address her.

"If we're being formal, then you have to call me Lieutenant Jennings or just Lieutenant. Right now though you can call me Jessica, I haven't been promoted long enough to have the new rank go to my head." At that both of them started laughing.

"Alright Jessica, just how did you get promoted from Ensign to Lieutenant." Stadra asked her before giving the information that Jennings needed.

"I was one of the top twenty-five in my senior class at the Academy. For that honor I got selected to go abroad on a Colonial Fleet vessel to get more training in how our ships work out in space. Admiral Tolan needed a new Communications Officer and I got selected for temporary duty while the battle group went on this weapons test. When the Cylons attacked and I found myself without a class anymore, Admiral Tolan made my temporary rank of Ensign permanent."

"That explains how you became an Ensign but how about your promotion?"

"That is how I got this award pinned to my uniform." Jessica said as she pointed to the medal she received for her actions during the Battle of Carillon, "Admiral Tolan and Major Pointiere had both been injured during the attack and were incapacitated. Colonel Adar had command of the _Victorious_ and needed me to take over Tactical and still stay on Communications."

"Were you scared? I just can't imagine being in a situation like that!" Stadra was wide-eyed at hearing Jessica's story.

"Yeah I was scared, but considering all we've been through since the Cylons attacked it's not been that big of a deal. I think we're all pretty eager to give those toasters some payback, and the best way for us to do that is to not be afraid and make sure we do our jobs to the best of our abilities."

"It's overwhelming Jessica, I've spent the past almost seven months living on my father's cruiser among all of those pirates. I swear if I wasn't his daughter then there is no telling what might have happened to me." Stadra then called out another colored wire combination for Jessica to check.

"You'll hear no argument from me Stadra, which had to have been an interesting time though. How is it that you ended up with your father and his group of pirates?"

"Well my father has always been involved in my life. I was a reminder of a night of passion he shared with a waitress at a restaurant in Caprica City. She tracked him down and told him about me, and he tried to be the best dad he knew how to be. He gave my mom thousands of cubits for my education, clothes, and pretty much anything I wanted. He even bankrolled my scholarship to Caprica City University." Stadra's eyes then had a far-off look to them, "My mom married the man who became my stepfather, and I guess he was jealous of my father being in my life the way he was. One night shortly before the Cylons attacked he had been drinking heavily and tried to force himself on me. I fought him off and ran away. I eventually got in touch with my father and it was then that he came and took me away from there, but not before he dealt with my stepfather. I don't know what happened, but him and a group of his enforcers made sure he never tried to lay a hand on me again."

Jessica was speechless, "I'm sorry Stadra if I caused you to dredge that up."

Stadra put a hand up to silence her, "It's alright Jessica, at least I won't have to worry about that anymore. I might as well go ahead and tell you that I'm going to need to be brought up to speed on the protocol of the Colonial Fleet. I have never had a desire to serve in the military and have no idea what I'm doing here other than to serve as Admiral Tolan's aide!"

Jessica smiled at her, "While we're here working I will tell you everything you need to know about us military people and how to keep your head above water when dealing with us higher-ranking officers."

CARILLON:

Hector Alonzo woke up and took note of his surroundings. It wasn't the room he had been kept in on the Styx. He last remembered the guards bringing him his meal. He ate the food and finished his drink. It was then that he began to feel really sleepy. It was as though heaviness came over his body and he had to lie down. Now he was standing n a darkened room somewhere he had probably never been before. He noticed a dark blind pulled down over what might have been a window. He opened it and looked down onto a grassy plain on the edge of a forest. He was in a house of some sort. He opened the door and stepped out the building he had woken up in.

There were other buildings set up nearby; they were similar to his only a little bit smaller. He turned back towards what might very well pass as a house of some sort. There was a note taped to it, he took it off the wall and began to read it.

**Hector,**

**Welcome to your new home, I hope you find your kingdom here on Carillon to be everything you thought it could be. I confess that my first impulse was to have you executed in the way I did your friends Arnold and Bryson. We voted to spare your life and while I was against the decision at first I have now come to see that it was the correct one.**

**After all you have put the fleet through during your 'Presidency' I cannot in good conscience allow you to stay with us. In the time of the greatest peril that our people have ever known you made the decision to put your own pettiness and lust for power above the common good. You have damaged so much of the goodwill that existed between the civilians and the Colonial Fleet. Damage will be repaired, but it will take a lot of time and effort to make it happen.**

**I want you to take in your surroundings; they are going to be your new home for the rest of our life. You wanted a kingdom to rule and now you have that. Enjoy this Hector; you are getting just what you deserve. Also, don't worry about your family. I gave my word that I would take care of them and make sure that there are no reprisals done against them. Farewell Hector, I wish things could have turned out differently but you charted the course that led you to Carillon. It is my most fervent hope that the Gods will watch over you.**

**Admiral Scott Tolan**

**Battlestar Victorious**

'You are one incredible bastard Scott Tolan!' Hector thought to himself as he crumpled up the piece of paper in front of him.

He was looking up at the sky when a hand grabbed hold of his left shoulder. He turned around and saw Sasha Evans and Daniel Warren standing behind him. It seemed Tolan had realized their involvement in setting up his meeting with Demand Peace.

"It's great to see you Mr. President, under the present circumstances." Warren gave him a weak smile.

"Hector what are we going to do about these people? With Arnold dead there is no leader here. We have to find a way to work this to our advantage." Even at a time like this, Sasha was still plotting.

'I might as well make a play for it.' Hector began to come up with ideas.

"Alright Sasha, gather everyone around and I shall address them. We are going to be here for a while so we might as well use this to our advantage. I can convince them that I am the new leader and can ensure that we survive on this new home that Tolan and Kronus felt we deserved." Hector looked past them and saw a mass of over two hundred people making their way towards them. Most of them looked lost and confused; perhaps they had also been drugged before transport to the planet's surface like he had been.

VICTORIOUS:

While Hector and the rest of Demand Peace were discovering that they had been marooned on Carillon, Scott Tolan had returned to the CIC of the _Victorious_ and been informed that the battle group was ready to jump on his order.

Battle Group 66 still consisted of the _Victorious_, _Sphinx_, and _Helios_. The newly created Battle Group 67 was made up of the _Atlantia_, _Ares_,_Athena_, and _Achilles_. The cruisers and warstars had been formed into a separate gunnery task old escort battlestars _Maytoria_ and _Melete_ would still form the training task force along with the cruiser _Neleus_.

One of the biggest surprises was the decision of Admiral Kronus to take over the gunnery task force. He had explained that out of the three highest ranking admirals, he was the only one who had been trained in that particular area. Tolan and Carter were viper pilots and that was all they had known.

Now Carter had transferred his flag to the _Atlantia_, while Kronus has switched his flag over to the _Svalin_. Magnus Ah-Mun had finally transmitted the jump coordinates to the Eastern Alliance's base. It was in the Pallas Nebula, located not too far from Cosmora.

"Admiral, all ships are reporting that they are ready to jump at your command. Admirals Kronus and Carter are also ready as soon as you give the word." Major Anton Pontiere said as he manned the tactical console.

"Very well then Mr. Pontiere, initiate our jump count and send word to the rest of the fleet to do the same. We're going home." Tolan looked at the charts of the Cosmora region, wondering where in the Pallas Nebula they were going to end up in. For the Cylons to have missed them it had to have been located deep within where the Cylon sensors couldn't have detected them.

Seven Months Ago:

Aquaria:

Aquaria was the last port call that Battlestar Group 66 was to make before its arrival at Leonis for its scheduled overhaul. It was a warm and sunny day in the city of Andros, one of the larger coastal cities. He had been to Aquaria before back when he was one of the members of Rear Admiral Gayle Meyer's staff. He and the other officers had stayed on Virginius Island but when they were off duty they would take the ferry over to the city of Salem.

He had received word that a reporter was asking questions about the weapons test that was going to take place once his battle group reached Leonis. His job was to meet with the reporter and convince her that she really had no story.

"It's quite fascinating what kind of stories those yard workers will come up with. I'm assuming that's how you got this information." Tolan and the woman reporter were sitting outside of one of the many bistros on what was referred to as the Andros Beach Walk.

"You know a reporter doesn't give away sources Admiral. I think that when you look at the Adar Administration's attitude and actions towards the Colonial Fleet it makes sense that the higher ups would want to use their weapons on two decommissioned battlestars to make a statement to the President. What better to get a point across than with a show of force?" She smiled at him, her face not betraying any sign of what she was thinking.

"Sure there are those who aren't happy with Richard Adar, I know I'm among those. What you need to think about though is the content of your story. The_Athena_ and _Ares_are both decommissioned and there is no chance of them returning to service. Why would the Colonial Fleet waste money destroying them when there is more value in selling them for scrap? We have had our budget cut considerably and more of the fleet is being run down because the funds just aren't there."

"You really want me to believe that in two weeks you will not be out in the far reaches of space blowing up these two battlestars?" The reporter's incredulity was impossible to ignore.

"Tell you what. In two weeks you go by the Aquaria Fleet Shipyard, and when you go there you will see three battlestars docked there undergoing a six month overhaul. I won't be there of course because I will be traveling on the _Olympica_ with my wife and children."

"What if I was getting my information from a worker at one of the reserve shipyards? I've been told that there is work going on now to make _Athena_and _Ares_ space-worthy again. How can you explain this away when there are these rumors of a secret weapons test? I should also add that you are the ideal officer to oversee a test like this. When you first made flag rank you spent a year as the head of the Bureau of Ships, I think you know the situation better than you let on," she leaned in closely and smiled at him.

"Do you have to see an Olympica Snow Lion before you believe it's real?" Tolan said to her as he took a sip of his coffee.

The reporter looked momentarily confused, "What does that have to do with our conversation Admiral?"

He smiled at her, "It is believed that there are these huge mountain lions that inhabit the upper parts of Mt. Olympica on Caprica. Nobody has seen them, but people swear that they exist. It's said that they can navigate their way down the slopes of the mountain at night and devour whatever animals they come across. They are so fast that nobody has photographed one and it's said that those who've come across them have been devoured. It's sort of like this report that my battle group which is going in for an overhaul is somehow going to be put in service for a top-secret weapons test. I'm telling you we're not and yet you cling to this perception that I'm not being honest with you. Do you have to see my battle group dock at Leonis and power down in order to believe what I'm telling you?"

"So you're telling me that the work that is being done on those two battlestars is simply to sell them for scrap soon?"

"As I mentioned to you before, there is a great amount of scrap value in those battlestars. They are probably on their way to Verona or one of the other scrap yards so that they can be dismantled and used to make cars, appliances, and other conveniences we can't live without. However, since you bring up my history with the Bureau of Ships I can tell you one thing. If there was a battlestar that would qualify for a weapon's test it would be the battlestar _Jupiter_. Since it is still docked at Scorpia as part of the Active Reserve I think it's safe to say this is a non-story."

The reporter was perplexed, "My sources tell me something different. I'll humor you though, why the _Jupiter_?"

Tolan laughed, "As a ship in the Active Reserve it will be easier to reactivated. Most of the battlestars have gone to the Inactive Reserve so there's not much of a selection."

"I'm sorry but wouldn't the Jupiter be somewhat stripped even if it was in Active Reserve?"

"Somewhat but it's kept to a limit. The Hermes is the Jupiter's sister ship and Commander Bowman has had to send people over there to get parts to replace items on the Hermes that have become worn out."

The reporter shook her head, "I see. Is it true that Commander Bowman is a friend of yours?"

Tolan nodded, "Yes he is. I met him about six years ago, I was in command of the battlestar _Vanguard_ at the time. Bowman was CAG of the battlestar Valkyrie at the time.

"I remember doing some research on you and it seems your ship and his fought against each other in some kind of war game, can you tell me more about it?"

"It pitted my group against the group that the _Hermes_ was a part of. The results aren't all that important, but afterwards all of us commanders got together that night for a time of drinking and celebrating."

"That makes an interesting story Admiral Tolan but I'm still not sure if you're being completely honest with me; I thank you for taking the time to see me." She stood up and offered him a handshake.

He stood up and shook her hand, "No problem at all Ms. Biers, I'm glad I kept you from wasting your time on a story that's complete and total fiction."

As she turned and walked away Tolan sat back down. He was enjoying a fine cup of Androsian Coffee and wanted to savor it for as long as he could. Once he returned to _Victorious_ he would need to begin looking for his new XO. Colonel Bridget Woods was leaving to take command of the battlestar _Kios_. He knew he would have a temporary XO during the tests, but when they were over he wanted to pick Woods' replacement.

PRESENT:

Pallas Nebula:

The fleet had jumped to the outer edge of the Pallas Nebula. The Admirals' decision to set Condition One throughout the ship seemed to be a wise one. If the Cylons came for them then they would be ready.

"Admiral Tolan, it looks as though all of our vessels made the jump successfully sir. We left no one behind at Carillon." Major Pontiere announced to all in the CIC.

"Admiral, I'm receiving a communication from Ah-Mun's vessel. He is requesting that we follow him into the nebula to rendezvous with his forces. He says that he will proceed as soon as we give acknowledge that we're ready." Lt. Jennings played with her headset as some static interference from the Pallas Nebula distorted the message.

"Very well Ms. Jennings, have Spartan and the alert vipers launched so that they can provide us with extra guidance through the nebula. There's no telling just how our equipment will work in there." Tolan spoke to her as he looked up at the DRADIS display. All of the ships had made the jump successfully. In a few minutes they would be making their way to the hideout of the Eastern Alliance.


	2. Chapter 2: Plotting The Attack

VICTORIOUS:

"Admiral, I am receiving a communication from the _Balius_, it would appear that the entrance to the nebula has been mined by the Eastern Alliance. What are your orders?" Lt. Jennings kept her eyes fixed on her console in case any other information was relayed to her.

"Have all ships stop immediately. I want the rest of our vipers and the vipers from the other battlestars launched. We'll need their weapons to shoot any mines that are going to be in our way. Give my regards to Mr. Ah-Mun, thank him for the heads-up." Tolan looked up at the DRADIS; luckily they hadn't proceeded into the nebula.

A few minutes later Lt. Jennings reported, "Our vipers have launched, as well as the vipers from the other battlestars. The _Maytoria _and the _Melete_ have launched their vipers to assist ours with covering the civilian ships, the warstars, and the cruisers. Admiral Kronus sent a message requesting that we remain at Condition One until we are certain this isn't a trap."

"Tell Admiral Kronus that we shall heed his advice and stay at Condition One. We shall proceed slowly and keep an eye on the _Balius_."

When the ships began to proceed into the nebula Tolan turned to Andre, "XO you have the conn, let me know if any trouble arises." He then turned to Stadra, "Ms. Ah-Mun if you could follow me I'd like to have a word with you."

They walked out of the CIC and into the corridor just outside of it. When the doors closed he spoke to her, "First allow me to apologize to you for not being here when you came onboard. Dr. McCain on the Solace called to inform me about the condition of my wife."

"How is she doing Admiral? Lt. Jennings gave me some information as to what happened, but I don't know the whole story."

Tolan smiled at her, "So far there's been no change in her condition, but the doctor reassured me that it's good news in the sense that she's not getting worse."

"You're worried about this meeting with my father aren't you?" Stadra's voice didn't hide the concern she was feeling at that moment.

"Very good Ms. Ah-Mun, you're able to get a feel for how I think. I need to know if I can really trust your father. For that matter I had to do some research on you to make sure that everything I was told about you was true. You are a member of my crew now, and you are one of the few people with unlimited access to me. I need you to look me in the eye and tell me that I can trust you and your father."

Her gaze hardened somewhat, "Are you trying to say Admiral that you doubt my intentions and those of my father?"

His face stayed impassive, "Considering the events of the past seven months, and the fact that Cylons can take on human forms I don't think you can really hold it against me."

She sighed and then looked him straight in the eye, "You have my word Admiral Tolan that my father doesn't mean you any harm and will not use me to get close to you. I will serve you to the best of my abilities and make sure that I go to whatever lengths to make sure I do my job properly. Is that good enough for you Admiral Tolan?"

"I believe so Ms. Ah-Mun, though I do have a few more questions for you."

"Alright Admiral, you can ask away." Stadra said as she wondered just what all she would need to answer.

"The _Balius_, how did your father come across it?" The cruiser was a Colonial Fleet design though Tolan needed more information to pinpoint its class.

"He had received information that a large shipment was being transported to Verona from the Dechtere shipyard near Trevor. He planned the attack, and when they carried it out my father discovered that it was an old heavy cruiser from the Cylon War. The _Balius_ was on its way to Verona to be scrapped, so in a way it was a large shipment. Instead of being upset about it. My father decided to use it to his advantage. He took the _Balius_ here and fitted it out to serve as his flagship. If you were to look at the average pirate ship, none would stand a chance against him."

"That clears up a lot, I can use that to figure out the class of cruiser it belongs to and any other information I'll need." Tolan added, mostly to himself.

"My turn to ask you a question Admiral, are you ready?" Stadra asked him after giving him a moment to think.

"Sure thing Ensign, now you may fire away."

She took a deep breath before she spoke, "Is it true that you were once part of the Basileus crime syndicate?"

Tolan nodded, "Yes I was, my older brother got involved with them and I followed shortly thereafter."

Stadra's eyes widened with shock, "You were involved in organized crime and went on to have a career in the Colonial Fleet? I thought the only way you were let out was when you died!"

"I suppose the Gods were watching over me, most people would tell you I've lived a charmed life. Enough questions for now, let's go back into the CIC. I need Lt. Jennings to get me the information on the _Balius_." Tolan turned and walked back into the CIC with Stadra following behind.

"Ms. Jennings and Mr. Pontiere, I have a job for the two of you to work on." Tolan then gave them the information he had on the _Balius_ and told them to work on finding out the information on it.

"Admiral Tolan," Lt. Jennings said after five minutes. "The Balius is a _Caprica City _class heavy battle cruiser. The _Caprica City_ class was the attempt to put the power of a warstar on a ship with the design of a heavy cruiser. The concept wasn't very popular and only six were ever built. After the war most stayed on as training vessels initially but most were quickly decommissioned. The _Balius_ was said to have been lost on its voyage to the scrap yard, according to records the scuttling charges accidentally initiated and the tow ship had to part the line or else it would have been destroyed."

Stadra walked over to where Tolan was standing and asked him, "One last question for you Admiral have you ever lost a battle?"

Tolan was speechless at first, "Well Ensign...actually yes I have lost a do you want to know?"

She shrugged, "I was just curious, I had heard you had seen combat since the Cylons attacked. Were they the ones you defeated you in battle?"

Tolan shook his head, "No it was one of my fellow officers who defeated me."

Stadra had a confused look on her face, "I'm sorry Admiral could you please explain that to me?"

"Of course, we have some time to spare. It was back when I was in command of the battlestar _Vanguard_. The war games scenario centered around the poorer colonies rebelling and taking over a group of Colonial Fleet vessels. My battlegroup was supposed to be the ships taken over by the rebels, and our task was to take out the battlestars of our opposing battlegroup before they took us out. To be honest with you we almost pulled it off. After several cat-and-mouse games it was down to the _Vanguard _and one other battlestar, the _Pegasus_. In the end Garris Cain of the _Pegasus_ used some of the tricks he learned through his years of service to draw out the _Vanguard_ and destroy us."

"I can only imagine how horrible you must have felt to have lost after coming so close to winning."

Tolan looked at Stadra and smiled, "Losing to a legend like Garris Cain, there's nothing to be ashamed of there. I take pride in the fact that I was able to accomplish what I was able to, considering the quality of my opponent."

FIVE HOURS LATER:

The group would have probably made it there in less time but the mines had served to slow them down considerably. Everyone in the CIC was on edge until Spartan had reported that the mines were clear and would not be a problem for the rest of the journey. Despite the reassurance, they all kept their attention focused on the task of getting to the Eastern Alliance's base.

Ten minutes later they arrived at their destination, an agro-station from the First Cylon War. The structure had been modified with weapons and additional docking stations; this was clearly not something that the Eastern Alliance had thrown together since the Fall of the Colonies. The agro-stations were relics of the First Cylon War. Back in those days there was no telling how long the task forces would be away from the Colonies before they could take on supplies again. The agro-stations were built in places the Cylons rarely ventured out to, and even then the stations were given some light armament to allow them to fend off an attack until the Fleet could come to its aid. When the war was over the stations were decommissioned and towed away for scrap, it was now obvious that at least one had survived.

"Admiral, there appear to be five vessels patrolling the agro station. They look to be merchant ships, but I'm detecting weapons on them." Major Pontiere stated as he looked at the information on his console. "There are also a couple of light cruisers there as well, though they're not on patrol at the moment."

"Thank you Mr. Pontiere, we'll stay at Condition One for the time being. I'll feel better about this whole situation once I'm certain that it's not a trap we're being led into." Tolan said as he looked up at the DRADIS. The ships Pontiere had mentioned were visible on it, they were probably ships captured by the Eastern Alliance and modified to serve as pirate ships.

The decision was made that the task force leaders, General Maxwell, and President Rush would meet with Magnus Ah-Mun and his lieutenants on the agro station. The raptor carrying them was one from _Victorious_. Tolan piloted the craft as it made its way to _Atlantia_,_Svalin_, _Syrinx_, and finally the _Olympica_. Their next stop would be the Eastern Alliance base. In addition to the five men there would also be a raptor containing six Marines that would accompany them. The ones picked for the mission were Corporals Ahmed Hassib, Clayton Hodges, Arissa Balor, George Tethra, Vanir Thiazi, and Anne Nortia.

EASTERN ALLIANCE BASE:

The hangar had the familiar silver metallic walls one would find in these structures. Once the raptor landed, the five men took in the surroundings. There were piles of equipment and supplies lining the walls, not to mention a large amount of people crowding the forward end of the hangar watching them. Their clothing and upkeep was in various stages. Some looked worse than others, and their body language gave away a sense of uneasiness at the situation.

"Call me crazy Admiral Tolan, but I don't think these people trust us all that much." David Rush said as he stood behind the pilot and co-pilot seats and looked out through the windows.

"It's easy to understand why Mr. President, after all I did spend the last few years of my career trying to hunt them down and put them out of business." Kronus looked at the crowd, wondering what the next move would be.

The doors opened, and in stepped Magnus Ah-Mun. He walked to the front of the crowd and motioned for the men in the raptor to come out and follow him. They waited for the Marines to get out and set up a perimeter in front of the raptors before they exited their raptor.

"Welcome to my humble home, you won't have to worry about much here. Even though you brought some protection, I have left strict orders that neither you nor your raptor is to be harmed in any way. I confess that I do not appreciate you bringing along those Marines of yours, I fear it would give my people the wrong impression. However I can understand the five of you feeling the need to have some extra security. Old habits do die hard, even in the trying times we have found ourselves in." He turned and looked at Admiral Tolan, "How is Stadra doing? I hope she hasn't had too much trouble adjusting to life on a battlestar."

Tolan smiled, "She's done quite well so far, the girl knows how to organize and make thins run smoothly. It also helps that Lt. Jennings has been helping her learn how things work in the Colonial Fleet. Fear not Magnus, your daughter is in good hands on the _Victorious_."

Magnus clapped his hands together, "Excellent, just the kind of news I was hoping to hear! Now if you will be kind enough to follow me, I shall take you to our Command Center where my five lieutenants are waiting for us." With that said he turned and led them out of the hangar and into the corridors. The six Marines formed into two groups of three, one went ahead and the other followed behind. Their weapons weren't drawn, but mentally they were prepared to use them at the first sign of trouble.

The place looked old; it was a genuine holdover from over forty years ago. In some ways it reminded Tolan of his time on the _Galactica_. With that particular battlestar, any changes done to it had been barely noticeable. The same could be said of the two battlestars in his fleet. The _Athena_ was somewhat modernized, but still retained the old look she had from the First Cylon War. The _Achilles_ had been given an austere modernization but still held many of the qualities of a battlestar from that era.

There were more people lining the hallways to get a glimpse of the Colonial Fleet officers and President Rush as they walked with Magnus Ah-Mun. Some looked genuinely relieved to see them while others eyed them with a wary suspicion. Tolan could blame them for it, after all the Colonial Fleet had done to try to end the piracy of the Eastern Alliance; there were plenty of reasons for both sides to be distrustful of one another.

After about ten or fifteen minutes they reached the Command Center, it wasn't too different from one of the plot rooms on the battlestars with the exception of a round wooden table that was in the room. There were five other people in there as well, three men and two women.

Once the doors had closed behind them, Magnus turned to the men. "Allow me to introduce you to my five lieutenants. Going from the left, this is Mike Conyers, Fred Spavero, Susan Helms, Krista Thurman, and Alton Mathis" As he spoke their name, each of them walked forward and saluted before heading back to their place in line.

Magnus waited a second then spoke again to his lieutenants, "Now I shall introduce you to our newfound friends. From the Colonial Fleet we have with us Admiral Scott Tolan, Admiral Tyrone Carter, Admiral John Kronus, General Otus Maxwell of the Colonial Fleet Marine Corps, and representing the civilian population we have President David Rush."

It was the mention of Kronus that made the five flinch with uneasiness, Mathis in particular shot a hostile glance towards him.

"Now that we have our introductions out of the way, let's get down to business and discuss our options. If all of you would take a seat we can begin." Magnus said as he sat down, followed shortly by everyone else in the room.

SOLACE:

With Gianne and Daphne watching the kids, Andrea Graystone took the time to go find the person she had been meaning to talk to. Chaplain Mark Ladon was the chaplain from the _Victorious_, however with recent events he had moved to _Solace_ to give assurance and comfort to those who had been injured.

She walked up to his office and saw that the door was opened and he was sitting at his desk. She knocked and he looked up at her and smiled.

"Is it a bad time now Mark, I can come back later if you need me to." She was one of the few people who used his name instead of referring to him as 'Brother Ladon' or 'Father Ladon'.

Mark Ladon was in his mid forties, with black hair that was cut military style. She had thought it interesting that her skin was actually darker than his. It was probably due to the fact that whenever she had shore leave she would head out to the nearest beach regardless of the Colony she was on. She found the ocean relaxing, plus there was never a shortage of bars around where she could drink, dance, and be anything but a responsible Colonial Fleet officer.

"Of course not Andie, come in and have a seat." He gestured to the pair of chairs that were situated in front of his desk.

Andie sat down in the chair on the left, "I've had a lot of time to think about my life and all the decisions I've made. I guess you can say that I need someone to talk to and you're the only person on this ship that I feel comfortable doing that with."

Ladon smiled warmly at her, "Considering the times on _Victorious_ when you would come to me for advice, we do have a sort of history together." He got up from his chair, walked over to the door, put a 'Do Not Disturb' sign on the front of the glass, closed the blinds over the window, and then closed and locked the door.

"I don't know if it's because I'm pregnant, but my emotions have been going wild here lately." Andie said as she looked over the pictures that Ladon had sitting on his desk.

"What's this? You're pregnant, how far along are you?"

She realized that with everything going on that she hadn't told him about that, "Yes, I'm barely two months along right now. I had a one night fling with one of the pilots on Victorious and come to find out I got what is normally referred to as 'Knocked-up'. I told the pilot about it and he knows now, and now I'm a pilot who can't fly and I'm carrying a child that I didn't think I would be able to have."

"Because of what happened with Emily I'm guessing." Ladon said as he leaned back in his chair.

"Exactly Mark! You know that Emily had a miscarriage the first time she got pregnant. It did a number on both her and Scott. I know it scared him because she lost the baby and if he hadn't have gotten her to the hospital when he did then he could have lost her as well. The doctors told her that there was a chance she may not be able to have kids, and when I heard that I figured that the odds were good that I would have the same trouble." Andie put her right hand to her forehead and let out a laugh. "The one night that I don't insist the man I'm going to sleep with wear a condom I get pregnant. That's irony at its finest!"

"Yet they have three healthy children now that would have put that idea to rest right?"

"That's because Emily went to a fertility doctor and was artificially inseminated. From what I can recall that was the only way that she was able to have children. Of course the two of them were in for a shock when it was discovered that she was going to have three kids for the price of one."

"You're still having some trouble with your feelings for Scott?"

Andie was caught off guard, "How could you possibly have figured that out?"

"I have a degree in Psychology from Delphi University and my Divinity training came from Corinth University. I can not only read people fairly well I can give them divine advice and tell them what's going on in their minds."

"You're good Mark, I give you that! I know I shouldn't, but there's a part of me that wishes it had been me instead of Emily that Scott had married. At first I thought he was just another typical guy but the more I was around him the more I realized that there was something different. He's been the one man in my life, besides Andre, that I never wanted to disappoint. Now with everything that's happened with Emily there's a chance that I may lose my sister and still have no idea what to do when it comes to Scott."

"In my opinion the one thing you need to do is be there for Scott. Be there to support him and keep life here from falling apart. I think the fact that you're helping with the kids and staying by Emily means more to him than anything else right now. Just keep doing what you're doing because it's the right thing. Maybe it is just those hormones of yours being all out sync with the pregnancy. If all else fails just pray about it and eventually the Gods will give you the direction you need." A pager went off in his pocket and he looked at it, "Sorry Andie, I have an appointment that I need to head to. If you need to talk to me my door is always open to you."

They hugged and he opened the door for her, following behind and closing the door after she had left.

"Well Mr. Ah-Mun, we would appreciate it if you could share with any information you may have about the resistance on Ostarsis and the Cylon forces that are in place. When that's done we can begin to formulate our plan of attack." General Maxwell said as he looked up from the notepad he had been writing on.

"Of course General Maxwell, I understand you will be the one in command of the ground forces."

"That's correct, while the Admiralty will be responsible for the Fleet and taking out the planetary defenses I will be the one who will be leading my Marines into battle on the surface of the planet and engaging the Cylon forces. It will also be our responsibility to get the prisoners off of the planet and to whatever ships we have available."

"Here's the one problem I've felt will be presented. We only have so many ships, and there is no telling if we can fit all of the prisoners onto them." Ah-Mun looked at the people seated at the table for some kind of answer.

"We will need to search for supplies before we begin the rescue operation. While we're at it we can do like we did when the Cylons attacked originally. We can hit the civilian shipyards and see what ships there we can appropriate. There is a possibility that the Cylons left the ship builders untouched because any military ships being built wouldn't have been completed and therefore not pose much of a threat to them." Carter wrote something down on his notepad and looked up at the rest of the group.

"That's a great idea Admiral Carter, and with enough time we can get them operational again." Tolan spoke up at once. "We can use our ships to go out and find what all we need. We'll leave the civilian ships here along with the escort battestars, the _Neleus_, and the patrol frigates. Our task forces can concentrate on a four colony section and the surrounding area to see what we find. We just have to be careful. The last thing we need is to encounter the Cylons before we're ready for them. If they discover us then we lose the element of surprise and for this mission that is something we can't afford to lose."

"Before we move on to this matter, which is going to be in command of the fleet while we are undergoing this operation. I know that you three admirals are involved taking in your task forces, and General Maxwell is going to be in command of the ground forces. Which of the other two admirals will be in charge?" David Rush asked before another person could speak.

"Well Mr. President," Kronus took off his glasses and looked at him, "The person in charge will be Admiral Kimmel. He was given command of the training fleet and we feel that he has a better feel for those ships than Admiral Jonasson. Admiral Jonasson is going to be in command of_Achilles_, and can step in should something happen to Admiral Carter or Admiral Tolan."

Carter then spoke up, "Tell us about the Resistance. Who are they made of, what are their numbers, what information do you have that they've provided you with?"

"We know that there are three leaders in the Resistance. There is Colonel Jesse Quinn of the Colonial Army, Commander Bridget Woods of the Colonial Fleet…" Magnus Ah-Mun was then cut off by Tolan.

"Commander Woods is alive then, thank the Gods!" Tolan exclaimed. "She was a friend of mine from my early days in the Colonial Fleet. We first met about two years after I graduated from the Academy. She served as my Executive Officer for quite some time. She was put in command of the battlestar_ Kios_ shortly before the Cylons attacked."

"That's good Admiral Tolan; at least there is someone in the group who can verify that we're not pulling some Cylon ruse to capture them. The last Resistance leader is Major Shane Cornell of the Colonial Air Force. There are about three thousand people in the Resistance, but they are broken down into cells of one thousand in three parts of Ostarsis. There is a chance that they can increase their numbers if we they can release more prisoners and get access to more weapons. They can coordinate with General Maxwell and aid his Marines in their assault on Ostarsis." Magnus flipped a switch near him and on a screen appeared an image of Ostarsis, "The moon has an atmosphere to it, but only certain parts are actually optimal for human population. These are the three areas that are currently being used to house prisoners."

Three red circles appeared along the center of the moon, the area looked tropical while the rest of the planet appeared to be cold and uninhabitable.

"Where is it that the Resistance is hiding at in these areas?" Maxwell spoke as he finished writing down something else on his notepad.

"This long stretch is a valley bordered by high mountains that separate it from the rest of the moon. The Resistance found a series of caves that they have modified for their use. They've gone deep enough that the Cylons haven't found them when they have explored the caves. With some tunneling equipment that I sent to them, a mission that we were lucky enough to pull off might I add, they have been able to expand their tunnel system." Magnus then turned off the screen and waited for the people seated in front of him to speak.

"Before we begin we are going to begin our supply search. Give us a week and a half and we should be able to get everything we need. In the meantime, I want you to organize your pirates into as efficient of a fighting force as you possibly can. We can leave some Marines here with you to act as advisors. If they're going to fight beside you then they need to know the tactics and weapons that are going to be used." Tolan looked over at Maxwell, "If that is fine with you of course General, I wouldn't want to overstep into your authority."

Maxwell nodded, "That's fine Admiral, when we leave here then my six Marines can stay behind to act as advisors for Mr. Ah-Mun. While we are searching for supplies I'll work on getting my battle plan together. I will need all of the information you have Mr. Ah-Mun, nothing from the Resistance is too small to dismiss."

"Very well then General Maxwell, you may consider it done. I shall have that sent over to the _Syrinx_ right away. I thank you gentlemen for your time and assistance with this. I know we have been on opposite sides but now we have a chance to work together and hopefully begin to put this distrust and animosity behind us once and for all." With Magnus saying that, the meeting ended and the five men made their way back to their raptor to return to their various ships. In another hour or so they would be going their separate ways for at least a week.

"General Maxwell and Admiral Tolan, if the two of you could stay for a minute please. There is something I need to let you know about." Magnus waited for the rest of the group to leave before he spoke to them.

"This is not the only station in this nebula. About fifteen minutes from here is another station that we tried to access to. It looks like it is a Colonial structure, but more than that I don't know. The lights are working on it, but when we went there recently we couldn't gain access beyond the main hangar. I found out from Mr. Mathis that a group of my people went there looking for supplies but never returned. I think it is probably work investigating, there could be something important kept there. Plus there is probably food and medicine that we can use. I feel that one of you should focus on that."

"Not a problem Mr. Ah-Mun, my men will investigate it before we leave the nebula." General Maxwell stated matter-of-factly.

Tolan held up a hand, "That's all fine General, but I think that I should use my people from the Victorious to investigate. Not to take anything away from your Marines."

Maxwell stiffened, "Are you suggesting Admiral Tolan that my Marines are not able to handle a simple mission such as this. What if we encounter enemy forces there. Will you be able to handle them in close-quarters combat."

"I am an officer of the Colonial Fleet.." Tolan began before Maxwell cut him off.

"That's what I figured, you should stick to playing with your ships and planes and leave the ground work to those of us who know what we're doing."

"Tell you what General, I will delay Victorious so that I can accompany you and your Marines to this station. That way we can both investigate what's going on there and get to the bottom of this." Tolan's voice had that edge to it, the one that would suggest to most people that he was offering a way out before things boiled over.

"Very well then Admiral Tolan, I will be expecting you in two hours on the _Syrinx_." Maxwell said before turning and walking out the door.

CARILLON:

Hector Alonzo waited for the foraging party to return with the food he hoped they would find. While Tolan had left plenty of supplies for them, they would only last so long and there was no telling how the weather would be on this planet.

"Well Miss Evans, it would appear we're off to a great start. Let's hope we can keep it up." Hector said as he put his binoculars to his eyes to scan the forest to the east of their camp.

"Of course Mr. President, I knew you would be able to pull us all together and make sure we survived. I doubt we're going to have a lot to worry about as long as we keep doing what we've planned out." Sasha Evans said as she sat in a chair on the roof of the building that was now home to her and Hector.

There was a loud screeching sound coming from the sky, even though it was getting late in the day they could easily make out what it was. It was a plane of some kind.

"Look at that Sasha; do you have any idea if that is one of ours?" Hector said as he pointed to the object that had just flew over the location of the camp.

"I see it, but it's so high up that I can't tell if its one of ours or…" Her voice trailed off.

"If it's one of the Cylons, let's hope it's not one of those. We could be in trouble." He put his arm around the now-standing Sasha and pulled her close to him.

They looked up at the sky as a squadron of Cylon heavy raiders came down through the sky towards their camp, flying overhead but not attacking. It was then that another Cylon craft came down from the sky, only it was larger and definitely not a heavy raider. The other people at the camp began to come out of the woods and their homes to see what the commotion was about. While most would have probably ran they were probably too stunned to move.

The larger Cylon craft landed, and a door opened up. Seven humans walked out of it, though Hector knew that they weren't really humans. He was now meeting the humanoid Cylons. He recognized three of them. One was Leoben, the man who had killed Commander Megan Domra on the battlestar _Achilles_. One was the woman who went by the name of Alice Copeland, the scientist that Tolan had kept as a prisoner on Victorious. The third one made his eyes widen with shock, the third humanoid Cylon he recognized was none other than William Arnold, the leader of Demand Peace!

EASTERN ALLIANCE BASE:

There was quiet on the raptor as it began to leave the agro-station. Scott Tolan's mind was on the upcoming mission and the fact that he was going to be heading back into battle for the first in months. He took the time to take in the sight of his battlestars among the civilian vessels. The_Achilles_, the battlestar from the First Cylon that had been presumed lost to the pages of History. Achilles was what was known as a 'One and done' design. The Colonial Fleet had been playing around with different battlestar designs, and _Achilles_ was such a design. While the armor wasn't quite as thick as it was on other battlestars of that era, _Achilles_ did give a great account in battle. Though more recent engineers had evaluated the class and stated that if _Achilles_ had faced the Cylons alone then the battle would have been a disaster for the battlestar. As far as Tolan was concerned it was a problem that could be fixed by some time in one of the mobile dry docks to add armor to the areas where it would be needed the most.

The _Ares_ and_Athena_ were two ships that he was thankful to have at his disposal. While _Athena_ had fought in the First Cylon War, she was due to be destroyed because of her uselessness with _Galactica_ being scheduled for decommissioning. Now she was back in the fight and had done her name and her commanding officer proud. _Ares_ should have never been in the position of being destroyed in the weapons test. The blame for that lay directly at the feet of the bean-counters that President Adar had appointed to run the Ministry of Defense. Now they were both taking the fight to the Cylons and he could not have been prouder of them.

_Atlantia_ was designed to be one of the most powerful battlestars in the fleet, probably even a match for his _Victorious_. Much like _Achilles_,_Atlantia_ was another 'One and done' battlestar designs. The battlestar had died the flagship of the Colonial Fleet and would probably still be lifeless hulk if it hadn't been for his decision to salvage and rebuild. By all accounts _Atlantia_ needed more work done, but was still capable of fighting with the rest of the Fleet.

When Tolan stepped onto the port hangar deck of _Victorious_ he felt like he had just returned home. He knew he had a lot of work ahead of him and the rest of the fleet. In a few short hours he would be dispersing his battlestars and the warstars to the four corners of the Twelve Colonies to gather ships and supplies for the assault on Ostarsis. He had made a change in plans from his earlier conversation with General Maxwell. Andre Graystone was to be given a temporary field promotion to Rear Admiral and take the _Victorious_ battlegroup on its supply search.

He went to his quarters and prepared to head over to the _Syrinx. _He had no idea what they would encounter on the station Magnus Ah-Mun had told them about, but he was determined to find out.


	3. Chapter 3: Collision Course

VICTORIOUS:

The group huddled around the table in the wardroom. The party was composed of Ensign Stadra Ah-Mun, Major Anton Pontiere, Captain Reese 'Spartan' Pittman, Lieutenant Jessica Jennings, and Colonel Andre Graystone. Andre had felt the need to give the senior officers a chance to sit around and talk before calling it a night. He had delayed the departure of _Victorious_ by a day. He had reasoned in his mind that whatever supplies they may come across weren't going anywhere, and after the exhausting trip to the Eastern Alliance's base they were all in need of a break.

"Doesn't it seem odd that Admiral Tolan would goad General Maxwell into going on this mission with the Marines?" Stadra said as she took a sip of water from her glass.

"Normally I'd say yes, but this is Scott Tolan we're talking about. I don't think the word 'Predictable' has ever been used to describe him." Reese played with the glass in front of him. He had more on his mind than most of them did. Scott had talked to him about the situation with Andrea. The one person he hadn't spoken with was her brother, and now his temporary commanding officer, Andre Graystone.

Andre raised his glass in salute to the comment, "You won't hear me say otherwise, Spartan. There happens to be quite a few stories I can tell you about our Admiral."

They all laughed, and then Jessica asked Andre to tell them one.

"I'll find a story to tell you about him, but first I have a question for Ms. Ah-Mun." Andre said that as all eyes at the table focused on Stadra.

"I'll be happy to answer whatever you want to ask Colonel." Stadra said, taking another drink of her water.

"What do you think about Admiral Tolan? I know you haven't been here long but maybe you've had the chance to form an opinion of him.

"He's very intriguing. On one hand he is a man of principle and understands the importance of rules. On the other hand his older brother and he were involved in organized crime and I don't even know the whole story about that." As Stadra finished that sentence it seemed Jessica was going to say something but decided against it.

Andre stroked his chin with his left thumb while he thought of a good one to tell. Finally he slapped his hand down on the table as a story came to him.

"Do any of you know the story about how he became XO of the _Atlantia_?" He looked and everyone shook their heads.

"Out of all the chances we've had to talk that didn't come up in our conversations." Jessica Jennings confessed.

"How come the two of you spent so much time talking?" Anton asked her.

"He wanted me to feel comfortable in CIC, with me being just a senior from the Academy. Being on this mission was a chance I didn't want to mess up. Admiral Tolan took me under his wing and made me feel a lot more relaxed. We talked my family and my life back on Tauron, and he shared with me stories of his time growing up on Canceron. I got to know the side of him when he was off-duty and the side of him when he was on duty."

"Well…" Andre began, "Scott was promoted to Colonel after spending five years at the rank of Major. He had been stationed on the _Mercury _as the battlestar's CAG. Not long after he married my sister Emily he found out that he had been promoted to Colonel and there was an XO position open on the _Atlantia_. All he had to do was interview with the Commander and get his approval."

All at the table leaned in closer, wanting to hear the rest of the story.

The commanding officer of the _Atlantia_ back then was a man by the name of Armand Evans. He was known throughout the fleet at 'The Hammer' because he was a man who was known to put his staff officers through torture. However those under him would usually end up better officers because of it. Now Commander Evans thought Scott was being promoted because he married into the Graystone family. He was going to be especially hard on him to make sure he failed the interview." Andre sat back in his chair to stretch, and to draw out the story more.

"So what all did Commander Evans say to Admiral Tolan?" Stadra asked, taking another sip of water.

"Well Scott walks into the Commander's quarters on _Atlantia_ in his dress grays, including his A.T.T. pin that he had gotten when he completed Advanced Tactical Training on Picon", Andre began.

Stadra nodded at that last reference. Advanced Tactical Training was a course that only the best of the best pilots got to take. The application rate for slots on each class was high, but the attrition rate for A.T.T. students was higher. On average, only fifty percent of any A.T.T. class lasted until graduation. Graduates wore the A.T.T. patch on their flight suits with particular pride. A smaller ATT pin went on the graduate's dress grays. Admiral Tolan's pin bore the gold star of an honors graduate – 'the best of the best of his class'. Andre continued his anecdote.

"Commander Evans lights into Scott with a withering verbal assault on him. He accuses him marrying for his promotion and tells him that there is no way he is going to allow a brown-nose a place on his battlestar. After several minutes of this, Scott is still standing there not moving or showing a hint of emotion. Finally Commander Evans asks if he's pissed him off. Scott tells him that he hasn't, and that he is entitled to his opinion regardless of whether or not it's true."

All of them had heard the recent story of Lieutenant 'Ice' Truly standing up to Admiral Helena Cain's hazing when he had reported on board the new_Mercury_-class battlestar _Pegasus_, but what Andre was describing here beat even that!

"What happened after that? I remember that time he went off on me when I hesitated on following his orders." Pontiere said, totally immersed in the story.

Andre smiled, "Well Evans told him that in his eyes Tolan wasn't going to amount to much, but he had a test for him and if he passed it then he could have the Executive Officer position on the _Atlantia_. The job was to genuinely piss off Commander Evans, and after all he had seen in his years in the Colonial Fleet he doubted it could be done"

"Alright Colonel, how did Tolan manage to pull that off since he did get the position." Spartan asked.

Andre leaned in, "Without a change in his expression, Scott leaned over and swept everything off of Commander Evans' desk. Every piece of paper, every pen, every pencil, if it was on that desk it was swept off of it. Evans jumped out of his chair and stood there glaring at Scott. Then he smiled and offered Scott a handshake. He told him he had done a great job but if he ever did it again it would be the last thing he ever did. From what I learned from Scott is that Commander Evans gained a healthy respect for him, and even vouched for him to the Selection Board when he came up for promotion to Commander."

Everyone at the table began to laugh hysterically at the story Andre had just told.

"What happened to Commander Evans?" Jessica asked.

"Ultimately he retired from the Colonial Fleet, and then Wesley Anson took over as the _Atlantia's_ commander. By the time he retired Scott was in command of the _Vanguard_. He managed to be there for the retirement ceremony, the _Atlantia_ was at Scorpia undergoing a three-month refit so the ceremony was held on the _Vanguard_ instead. When the ceremony was over Colonel Bridget Woods, Scott's XO, came up and was about to propose a toast. Evans lit into her about not being in the CIC when she was scheduled to be there." Andre said, keeping the attention of everyone there.

Pontiere then said, "Wow, I'm sure Scott must have been livid at Evans embarrassing her like that."

Andre nodded, "Yes he was, but he knew not to get mad at Evans. He said to him, 'I think she was about to propose a toast, Commander.'"

Now it was Stadra who spoke, "What did Evans say after he heard that?"

Andre shrugged, "He simply stated, 'Tolan, I always believed the first rule of command was to enforce all regulations, and the second rule...'"

Andre laughed, "Tolan then added, 'Is to make sure there's no exception to the first rule. You burned that into my brain when I was your XO.'"

That particular story served its purpose well. It served to open the floodgates as each person began telling their own stories about Admiral Tolan.

"To get back to the story that Ms. Ah-Mun was mentioning, Scott was involved with organized crime back on Canceron. The Beliseus clan was a notorious group of criminals that were involved in all sorts of illegal activity." Andre began saying once the commotion had died down. "Scott's grandfather, Carl Tolan, was actually born Carl Tolen. He got involved in organized crime, and when he became head of the Beliseus he changed the spelling of his last name because by then the rift in the Tolen family was becoming nasty."

"That explains why his named was spelled differently than one of my classmates at The Academy." Jessica Jennings interjected.

Andre nodded, "Exactly Lieutenant. Henry Tolan, Scott's father, married Sylvia Tyler. He was drafted into the Colonial Fleet and during the First Cylon War he served on the escort battlestar _Orianos_. It was during that time that Scott and his brother Andrew were born during this time. Two years after the war ended, Henry Tolan died of cancer. It was attributed to the chemicals he worked with in the engine room of the_ Orianos_."

Pontiere then asked, "So what does this have to do exactly with Admiral Tolan's time with the Beliseus?"

"Because after Henry died, Carl Tolan took his daughter-in-law and his two grandsons into the family home to live. It was growing up there that led them down the road into organized crime. When Andrew was sixteen and Scott was twelve there was an attempt by one of Carl's lieutenants to grasp power. A group of his henchmen followed Andrew and Scott one night, and when there was no one else around they drove by and shot a spray of bullets at them. Andrew pushed Scott down and covered him but was fatally hit."

The eyes of the others sitting at the table were wide again in amazement.

"In the aftermath of the shooting, Carl Tolan arranged for Sylvia and Scott to live with her family in Clio. It was a decision that kept Scott safe and ensured that he didn't end up like his brother did." Andre said as he sat back in his chair to look at the others sitting at the table.

SYRINX:

Scott Tolan finished putting on the Marine battle uniform that General Maxwell had provided. He glanced at the mirror and gazed at his reflection. He strapped on his black helmet and looked over the weapons he would carry with him. With the unexplained disappearances on the station they were going to explore, there wasn't such a thing as being too prepared. He checked his watch; Maxwell was currently on the Observation Deck. If he wanted to talk to him before they reached the station, now was the time.

When he reached the Observation Deck, he opened the door and saw Maxwell standing in front of the glass watching the reddish gas of the Pallas Nebula go past the window.

"Tell me Admiral, what is it you think we're going to find on this station?" Maxwell said as he continued to look out the window.

"In all honesty General, I expect us to find some kind of trouble." Tolan said as he walked up to where Maxwell was standing at.

"Are you always this much of a pessimist?" Maxwell chuckled as he looked down at his holstered pistol.

"Normally I'm not, but when you consider the fact that a search party of Eastern Alliance pirates went to the station and never returned it doesn't exactly fill one with confidence that everything is perfectly fine."

"You know it's said that viper pilots have a set of instincts that none can rival, except maybe a Marine." Maxwell said before saying, "I added that last part though, can't have you getting too big of an ego."

Tolan laughed, "I thought that might be the case. Don't underestimate us viper pilots though; we're a special breed in the Colonial Fleet."

"You can hang with your fellow viper jockeys Admiral, but soon we're going to see how you keep up with the Marines." Maxwell shot him a look that was almost whimsical.

Tolan didn't respond. They were both looking at the grayish metal structure that they were closing in on.

There were two Eastern Alliance vessels coming with them, the converted merchant carriers_ Ephraim _and _Ramol_. They were there to provide support should they be needed, and keep an eye out for the Cylons. It went without saying that Magnus Ah-Mun was also interested in the fate of his people who had come to the station previously.

SOLACE:

Mark Ladon was finishing up a report on one of the patients he had been counseling a few days ago. The young man in question was a deckhand from the_ Sphinx_ who had been injured during the _Olympica_ Riots. Compounding the fact that he had been injured while on shore leave was the fact that his family had perished in the Cylon attack on the Colonies. The young man had become despondent and threatened suicide. Ladon had talked to him, and according to the report he was reading there had been no more threats of that nature. He made a mental note to follow up with him the following day.

"Is it all work and no play for you priests?" A woman's voice came from the door to his office.

He looked up and standing there in the doorway was Andrea Graystone.

"Hi Andie, I'm afraid you startled me! I was finishing up this report I had received earlier then I was going to call it a night. I guess you can call a trip to Dreamland 'play'." Ladon smiled at his pleasantly unexpected company.

"You know Mark we really need to sit down and talk about the meaning of the word 'play' because I think you missed out on that lesson at priest school." She said as she walked over and took a hold of his hand.

"What has gotten into you Andie?" Ladon laughed as he stood up.

"Right now the cafeteria on this deck is still open and I have some cravings that I need to tend to. I hate to eat alone so I am taking you with me. You're good for conversation Mark, you can give me advice on almost anything, and I find you intellectually stimulating. So therefore you are coming with me and there's nothing you can do or say to change my mind!" She held on to his hand and led him out of his office and down the corridor towards the cafeteria.

SYRINX:

The structure wasn't too different from an agro-station. It was shorter, but wider with many more windows and lights. They were close enough now that Scott could see through the windows. Only a few lights were on, but the interior looked eerily deserted. There was no movement that he could make out. He saw some lettering near the top of the structure, 'Alpha Station One' was written in a white stencil pattern with lights along the outer edge of the letters.

A voice came over the loud speaker, "Docking with station is complete."

"Before we disembark General, I want to do something first." Tolan said as he made his way over to the wall where a phone was mounted.

"Alright Admiral, make it quick then explain to me what is going on." Maxwell said as he continued to eye the station.

"Communications, this is Admiral Tolan. See if you can get me through to the _Victorious_." He held the phone to his ear and listened to the Communications Officer. "Thank you." He said before hanging the phone up.

"Why do you need to get in touch with _Victorious_?" Maxwell inquired.

"This station here looks like an agro-station but it has a different feel to it. I can't explain it other than to tell you that my instincts tell me that there is more here than we realize. I want to have Dr. Ravashol brought here in case we have any questions about this place. If it's a secret laboratory or Black Ops place then I want to know." Tolan paused then added, "I also want Mitchell Cain here as well, he was up to his neck in Black Ops missions so I want him here as well."

Maxwell laughed, "Admiral I think you're becoming paranoid. If there is anything on that station other than supplies it won't be a match for my Marines. If it'll make you feel better, I'll send one of the raptors back to the fleet and get your guests brought back here. Till then we will board the station and investigate. Is that fair enough?"

Tolan nodded his head, "Yes General I suppose that's going to have to be fair enough. Get your people together and we'll board within the hour."

ONE HOUR LATER:

There was one shuttle in the hangar bay of Alpha Station One. It looked like an old Colonial Fleet raptor, but one that had been modified. The markings on the raptor's frame indicated that it belonged to the Eastern Alliance.

Tolan and the fifty Marines exited the heavy transport craft and formed ranks in the hangar. Maxwell barked orders in rapid fire succession and the Marines followed without missing a beat.

"I suggest we establish base camp here, in case there is something behind those hangar doors that isn't inclined to be friendly towards us." Tolan said to Maxwell.

"We can do that for now Admiral; let's wait for Ravashol and Cain to show up. As much as I hate waiting I can't afford to go wasting the lives of my Marines." Maxwell agreed before asking, "What do you think we're going to find behind those doors?"

Tolan looked at the polished steel double doors that led beyond the hangar and into the station. They were brightly polished and didn't show any signs of tarnish or denting. By the left frame of the doors was a keypad with letters and numbers on it.

"I'm not quite sure yet General, but I wonder if we're going to have to figure out a password or some way to get past these doors first."

SOLACE:

The dining area was deserted except for a few people sitting at the various tables. Chaplain Mark Ladon had a bowl of potato soup that he was slowly eating. Sitting across from him was Andrea Graystone. She was having a pub-style cheeseburger and an order of onion rings.

"Are you sure that's something you should be eating now that you're pregnant?" Ladon asked her.

"I hardly ever have these so once won't hurt me too much, I doubt the baby is going to mind all that much anyway." Andie said as she took a bite of her cheeseburger.

"Have you and the father talked any since you found out you were pregnant?"

Andie swallowed the food and was quiet for a second. "We've talked once, and that was essentially me telling him I was pregnant and I wasn't going to force him to marry me."

"How did he take the news?" Ladon asked after he had another spoonful of soup.

"He didn't say a whole lot; he was caught off-guard by the whole thing. He was as certain as I was that I wouldn't have to worry about getting pregnant. With everything that's gone on I suppose he just hasn't had the time to talk to me."

"It's hard to believe that just three years ago I was the chaplain for the JAG office on Aerelon. When I first met you was when you shot that Marine."

Andie swallowed hard, "That was scary, and I remember a lot of it like it was yesterday. I was dancing with him and then he tried to get me to go off with him to a more 'private' location. I said no and when he kept insisting I left the dance floor and the club."

Ladon then continued, "He followed you out into the parking lot, tried to force you into his car. You broke free, reached into your purse, pulled out the gun you carry with you, and shot him in the right shoulder and his left kneecap."

Andie then smiled, "When they arrested me you came to talk to me and more or less counseled me that night."

"Yeah, and then later that year you put in a word with Scott that I would be a great choice for the chaplain position on Victorious."

"Did you know that Scott requested that I be assigned to _Victorious_?" Andie asked.

Ladon shook his head, "No, I just assumed that you were put there because of the need for pilots."

"I was supposed to be drummed out of the Fleet for what I did, but Scott pulled some strings and called in some favors. I know it sounds strange, but I always felt like I owed him a debt for that. When the dust had settled I was busted down from Captain to Lieutenant and lost a chance to maybe become CAG."

"You and Daphne both signed up for the Fleet at the same time, how did the two of you get your call signs?" Ladon asked as he tried to change the subject.

"Artemis was given to me by our squadron leader on the _Solaria_. He heard I was a great shot with a bow and arrow. One day on the hangar deck he asked me to prove it. He was an accomplished archer and wanted to see how just how good I was. He set up a target for me that night and I hit bull's eye every time. Since Artemis is the Goddess of the Hunt it was a name he gave me." Andie gave a satisfied smile, it was a story she was quite proud of.

"That's one down, now what about Daphne?"

"Daphne's middle name is Cassiopeia, and the same squadron leader I told you about happened to be very fond of the name. I know it's not glamorous but that's how she got the call sign. The last time we talked she thought about going by that name instead of Daphne, though it took Emmy getting injured for us to talk again." Andie grew a bit solemn at that topic.

"Was it because she left to become a medtech here on the Solace?"

"Yeah, we'd been through so much and it just felt wrong for her to want to up and leave like that. I held it against her, and until Emmy got injured on Olympica I didn't want to have anything to do with her."

"At least the two of you are back on speaking terms; it would be a shame to waste all those years the two of you were friends."

Andie nodded, "Yeah and it was kind of juvenile of me to hold a grudge especially when you think of how there's really no need to do that right now."

They finished their meals and he walked her back to Emily's hospital room, and after telling her goodbye Andie surprised him by reaching up and kissing him on the cheek.

VICTORIOUS:

"Captain Larsen Banks, you are needed in the CIC right away." The voice of Petty Officer Evan Hawk, the relief Communications Officer, resounded over the loud speaker.

"I think their calling for you Larsen." The voice belonged to a nude Jamie Hamilton.

"I heard it honey, but don't you think they can give us time to finish this." Banks said, with more than a note of irritation.

"I heard 'right away' so it might be something important."

"We haven't exactly had a lot of time together, for this and other things that a couple should be doing."

Jamie laughed, "You get promoted to Captain, and get your own stateroom since you were officially made the leader of Raptor Squadron One. Now here you are with your girlfriend trying to christen this room accordingly when you get called away. Sometimes life can be funny!"

Larsen got off the bed and started to get dressed, "It's funny alright, I just wished it hadn't have happened. I'll try to be back as soon as I can. Stay here, and don't get dressed! I want to be able to pick up right where we left off."

"You got it babe!" Jamie said as she got on her knees and pulled Larsen to her, giving him a kiss goodbye that almost led to him being back on the bed with her.

When Larsen arrived at CIC he saw Colonel Graystone standing there with a message in his hand, "Hello Captain, thank you for your prompt arrival."

Banks saluted him, "Yes sir, I wouldn't want to keep you waiting."

Graystone returned the salute, "I appreciate that, though next time you may want to make sure you have all the lipstick off of your neck."

Banks felt his face turning red with embarrassment, he had forgotten to check and make sure he had all of Jamie's lipstick off.

Graystone saw this and changed the subject, "There was a report we received from the Alliance ship _Ephraim_, Admiral Tolan has requested that we delay our departure and allow you to make a delivery for him."

Banks nodded, "What kind of delivery am I to make?"

"You are to head over to the _Ketill_ to pick up Dr. Ravashol and Mitchell Cain. Admiral Tolan believes that what they stumbled upon at that station Magnus Ah-Mun told them about might be of interest to them.

"Very well Colonel, I'll get my ECO ready and we'll be off within the hour." Banks saluted and left the CIC.

Andre then turned command over to Lt. Aurora Zelada, the Tactical Officer who alternated shifts with Major Pontiere. He was ready to call it a night and get some sleep; he just had one last person he needed to speak to. Events had calmed down just enough for him to have a meeting of the minds with Captain Reese Pittman.

KETILL:

Larsen Banks tried to get his mind to focus on his job, but the image of Jamie laying there on the bed wasn't leaving him anytime soon. Lt. Frederick Lokrum, his ECO, tried to carry on a conversation but stopped when he realized that Banks wasn't really into talking at the moment. Instead they were sitting there in silence with their raptor sitting on the hangar deck of the _Ketill_ waiting for Ravashol and Cain to show up so they could leave.

Lt. Zelada had gone with the men's request that she send over all information about Alpha Station One so that they could be prepared for what would happen over there. If that was the case, the two men were bringing everything but the proverbial kitchen sink.

"You think one of us should go in there and find them Magic?" Lokrum said his eyes on the screen in front of him as he ran a maintenance check on the Electronic Countermeasures system.

Five minutes later the door opened and in walked Dr. Ravashol and Mitchell Cain. Ravashol was wearing a suit, not one that looked terribly expensive, and carried a brown briefcase with him. Cain was wearing jeans and a black Aquaria Falcons t-shirt, and was carrying a red backpack of some sort. They made an interesting contrast with one another, yet both had done their share of secret tasks for the Twelve Colonies.

"Sorry for being late, I had to grab some items that I think will be useful once we reach the station." Ravashol said as he climbed into the raptor and took one of the seats in the rear.

"I'm not sorry for taking so long, but I did bring some toys that Admiral Tolan will be grateful for." Mitchell Cain said as he got in and took the co-pilot seat at the front of the Raptor.

ALPHA STATION ONE:

The raptor landed with ease and almost a minute later the doors opened and out stepped Banks, Lokrum, Ravashol, and Cain.

"We were beginning to wonder if you were ever going to show up." The voice was that of General Maxwell.

"Sorry General, our two guests had some matters that needed tending to before they left with us. I can't say too much, I took Lokrum to school in the Triad game we played while waiting for them." Banks said with a grin.

"So is that why you got the call sign 'Magic'"? Tolan said as he walked up to him.

Banks saluted, "No Admiral, that's something that I plan on keeping secret for the time being."

"Alright but one day I'll order you to tell me the story behind that call sign. In the mean time, I want you and Lokrum to stay here at the raptor and have it ready to fly at a moment's notice. We don't quite know what we're going to find here on this station and we have to evac suddenly if there's trouble." Tolan said.

Elsewhere in the station there was the main security room. A lone figure was there sitting at the consoles watching the video feed coming from the hangar. He counted fifty Marines, three Colonial Fleet officers, and two men who were obviously civilian.

His mind swam with delight at the fun he would be having shortly. He had heard enough over the audio to know that they intended to open the doors that led into the station and explore. Just like those two idiots a week ago, the ones he toyed with before killing.

"That's right, open that door and see what awaits you. By the time I'm done you will wish you had never set foot on this station." The man said aloud to nobody in particular.

He watched as four of the men walked towards the hangar doors. The one in the jeans and t-shirt opened up the red backpack and took out something a card with wires attached to it that he put into the security card slot. He then hooked the wires into a handheld console and began typing. While he was doing that the other three were having a conversation though the audio from that part of the hangar wasn't entirely clear.

He stared at the screen and five minutes later the hangar doors opened with a loud 'whoosh'. The four men stared into the corridor that he knew was only lit by the emergency lights.

"Please come in, you will find out that you are the guests of the one and only Count Iblis." He said this as he walked out of the security room and into the darkened corridor. He had to begin preparing for the death and destruction he would visit upon these intruders.


	4. Chapter 4: Divided They Fall

OLYMPICA:

In the _Olympica_ suite once occupied by Hector Alonzo, President David Rush and Magnus Ah-Mun sat across from each other at one of the smaller tables in the room. Both men were drinking whiskey and talking about the events of the past seven months.

"You know David; I can call you that right?" Magnus said after taking a sip of whiskey.

"I don't see why not Magnus, we're all on the same side here." David Rush said, reaching into his pocket to pull out one of the fine Caprican cigars he was always fond of. He then offered one to Magnus.

'Though I realize that if it wasn't for the Cylons I'd have your pirate ass in chains down in the brig.' Rush thought to himself.

"Interesting thing David, I thought that the _Olympica _was a smoke-free ship." Magnus said as he took the offered cigar.

Rush gave a sly smile, "Not anymore Magnus, one of the perks of being in power."

'All it took was Hector Alonzo collaborating with a terrorist group to put you in power. Not to mention that he took the Vice President down with him.' Magnus thought to himself, still maintaining his friendly smile.

"Now for the business at hand," Magnus said as he lit the cigar, "My people are quite eager to sample the fine facilities of the _Olympica_. For the longest time we have had no forms of recreation besides what we could come up with on the base. I can give you my assurances that my people will be on their best behavior."

Rush sighed, "It's not that I don't trust you Magnus, it's the fact that for the longest time the Eastern Alliance was THE feared pirate organization. Now we're working together but some people are having a hard time putting the past behind them. Just give us a little more time and then we can see where everything stands."

'Actually Magnus I don't trust you, but the Admiralty isn't giving me a whole lot of say on that particular issue.' Rush thought ruefully to himself.

"Mr. Rush," Magnus began somewhat tensely, "We have fought the Cylons to the best of our abilities, and we have sought you out at great personal risk to me and others. We have provided you with intelligence on Ostarsis and the Cylons. I think we have more than proven ourselves worthy of at least a little trust."

'Even a windbag Nationalist bastard such as you can see that I'm sure.' Magnus thought, not wanting to give Rush an idea of what he was thinking.

"I understand where you are coming from Magnus, "Rush began, "I just can't help but think that the first time one of your pirates steps out of line here on _Olympica_ or any ship in our fleet that it's going to undo any of the goodwill that has already been built up by your actions. What do you propose I do if that should happen?"

'You and your people are pirates for the love of the Gods, it's not like the Eastern Alliance is a social club that meets once a month to play a friendly game of triad!' Rush looked at the man, still not sure if he could trust him or not.

Now it was time for Magnus to give a sly smile, "Turn the person over to me and we'll deal with the situation. With the Eastern Alliance, we take care of our own."

'I'll deal with them a whole lot more fairly than you could ever hope to.' The thought rang true in Magnus' mind.

Rush thought for a few seconds before he spoke again, "Tell you what I'll do Magnus, any refugees you have picked up since the Cylons attacked will be allowed room and board on any of the civilian vessels in the fleet. I will allow you to choose a small number of your Eastern Alliance people to come over to _Olympica_, make sure though that they're people you can trust to behave themselves. If it is successful then I will allow more to come over here for some rest and relaxation."

Magnus Ah-Mun stood up and extended his hand, "You have yourself a deal President Rush and I shall inform you and Captain Edwards when my group of people shall be over. First I shall send over any civilians or other non-Alliance personnel I have on my base."

Rush took hold of Ah-Mun's hand and thanked him for his time. When Magnus left, David Rush couldn't help but find it odd that he had just shaken hands with a confessed pirate.

As Magnus walked away he was amused at the fact that he had just shaken hands with a member of the party that wanted the Colonial Fleet to hunt down and exterminate him and his men.

ALPHA STATION ONE:

Tolan and Maxwell stared down the corridor which went straight a short distance and then took split with one side going left and the other going right.

"Well General we have a choice to make. Would you be opposed to splitting your forces and we each take one of the corridors." Tolan said, looking down the blackened hallway.

"I'm fundamentally opposed to weakening my fighting force, but if we want to find out what went on here we may have to take that chance." Maxwell said his gaze in the same dark corridor.

"If you have any suggestions I'd be willing to listen to them." Tolan added.

"Alright, I have an idea." Maxwell said, and then he called for Colonel Jake Krulak.

Krulak came up and saluted. Maxwell ordered him to take ten of the Marines and form a base camp at the hangar bay.

"If something goes wrong, we'll have reinforcements to come to the rescue." Maxwell said, and Tolan nodded in agreement.

"I'll have the pilots keep the raptor ready to go at a moment's notice." Tolan spoke, wondering just what lay in store for them.

VICTORIOUS:

Andre Graystone found the CAG office and knocked on the door. Reese Pittman gave the word to enter, and when he realized it was Andre he stood up and saluted him.

"What business brings you here Colonel?" Pittman asked, his eyes staring straight ahead.

Graystone returned the salute, "At ease Captain, I think you know exactly why I'm here."

Pittman relaxed and let out a deep sigh, "It's about Andie isn't it? I was wondering if we were going to have a talk about her."

Andre nodded, "I know there's been a lot going on, I think we need to air things out and reach an understanding about this whole issue."

Reese arched an eyebrow, "With all due respect Colonel, that is between me and Andie and doesn't involve you."

Andre chuckled, "You want to know what's always been amazing to me?"

Reese looked puzzled, "What's that?"

"It's the fact that the phrase 'With all due respect' is never actually followed by anything respectful."

Reese stammered, "Now...now…that's not what I meant Colonel…"

He was interrupted by Andre, "What you were trying to say is that what you and my pregnant sister do is none of my concern and I have no reason to try to poke my nose into it."

Reese was quiet; he seemed to be genuinely at a loss for words.

"That's what I thought." Andre said matter-of-factly.

"Did she tell you that I spent the past two years not talking to her, Scott, or Emily?"

Reese didn't say anything, he just shook his head.

"Those were two years that I can't get back no matter how hard I try. Now I have a chance to be a part of the family again, and it's one I'm not going to pass up." Andre then walked right up to Reese and looked him right in the eye. "What you and Andie did isn't any of my concern. What is my concern is the aftermath of what the two of you managed to accomplish. You may not have to marry Andie, but I want you to be there for her and your child. Not only does this affect my twin sister, this also affects my future niece or nephew. Do the right thing Spartan, or else the next time we talk the conversation won't be quite so pleasant."

With that said, Andre turned and left the room. Reese Pittman stood there motionless, not sure if what had just happened was real or not. After a few minutes of standing there, he picked up the phone sitting on his desk, and hoped that he could contact the _Solace_. He felt the need to check up on Andie and see how she was doing.

ALPHA STATION ONE:

Iblis watched as the group in the hangar bay split up into three groups. Ten of the Marines and the two pilots stayed behind, while two groups of twenty Marines formed ranks. He noted the two men who were each leading one of the groups. He used one of the cameras to take a picture of each one and ran it through the image database of the Colonial Fleet. He received a hit on each one in under a minute, he then flipped a switch and on the main screen in the control center came the information.

**Name: Scott Edward Tolan**

**Rank: Rear Admiral, Colonial Fleet**

**Age: 40**

**Assignment: Battlestar Group 66, Flagship: Battlestar Victorious**

**Serial Number: RW-747928**

**Name: Otus Vernon Maxwell**

**Rank: Brigadier General, Colonial Marine Corps**

**Age: 55**

**Assignment: 2nd Colonial Marine Expeditionary Regiment**

**Serial Number: AG-137926**

Iblis then read the personal information about their families and other assorted information of that nature. He felt he knew his enemy enough to where he could begin to have his fun with them. He was in the most secure area of the station, when he had launched his plan against the staff here he had made sure that he wouldn't be harmed. Not that it mattered; the steel exoskeleton that he had been used as a test subject for made him practically invincible.

Alpha Station One was a station that on paper and in the computer files simply didn't exist. All personnel were listed as having been stationed at the Lascaris Technology Laboratory. The work done here was classified to the highest levels, and there was also the 'Data Mine' to be considered. Every scrap of information on the Twelve Colonies was stored here for safe-keeping. Every treaty, every piece of information on new and developing technology, and information on every Black Op was kept here where no prying eyes could find it.

Count Maximus Iblis was the second to last Count of Iblis. The colony of Leonis had held on to the royal titles of its past and those with the titles were figureheads with no real power. Much the same was as Admiral John Kronus was actually Duke Kronus of Kronhaven. He was the Count Iblis of Iblisia.

Iblis had indulged in actions that were against the laws of what was termed as 'Polite Society'; he was apprehended on charges of murder and similar crimes. He felt that as royalty he could do whatever he damned well wanted. Not to mention that formally charging him would be embarrassing for his family and the community. A deal was then arranged where a news story would be circulated about him dying, but instead he would be sent off to Alpha Station One for 'rehabilitation'.

The program consisted of gene therapy to make him faster and stronger, as well as an attempt to altar his mind to get his killing urges removed. The last step involved fitting his body with a hardened steel exoskeleton equipped with various forms of weaponry. This was only done once the doctors had been convinced that he no longer posed a threat. What they didn't realize was that the attempts had failed and he retained every trait of his personality.

Three months ago he had sprung a trap on the unsuspecting people at the station. While two technicians were running a diagnostic on his exoskeleton, he killed them and then used their security clearance to access the environmental controls of the station. He then vented the atmosphere suddenly, causing a catastrophic loss of oxygen to the brains of everyone on the station. Except for the lab he was in there was little chance of surviving.

It was then that he had realized the mistake he had made. He had stopped the vent but the loss of oxygen didn't kill the people. Those who had gotten a hold of oxygen masks were fine, but those who hadn't were instead turned into mindless zombies. They began attacking the people who weren't injured. Eventually those people had forced themselves into a secured supply area and had been there since. As for his victims, they still carried out basic functions to the best that their brain were able to function. It was as though they were now animals going on instinct to a certain degree. Iblis could have cleared a path for them to be killed but he enjoyed knowing that they were going to slowly go through food and supplies and then die.

All he had to do was let loose his creations on the Marines and then it would be forty marines against two hundred virtually brain dead people. He clapped his hands together in delight at the havoc he was going to create.

OSTARSIS:

Commander Bridget Woods was asleep, but her mind was replaying the events of the horrible day in which her and her crew had been taken prisoner by the Cylons.

The _Kios_ had responded to a request to investigate the status of the officer assigned to Armistice Station. Bridget felt it would serve as a small exercise for her crew. When they got there the DRADIS showed that there was a Cylon basestar in the area and while the location of Armistice Station was confirmed, the station itself did not register on DRADIS.

Woods had ordered Condition One set and for all vipers to be scrambled immediately. However, before any of that could be accomplished all power went off on the _Kios_. The lights went out, the screens flickered before going black, and finally only the red emergency lights were all that was on.

Then reports began to pour in over the internal communications system that the Cylons had boarded the _Kios_. Some people were killed and others were taken prisoner. Out of her crew in the CIC only three survived. She, Lt. Lamont Evans, and Ensign Angela Rigel were the only survivors from that part of the battlestar. They would be joined by other crewmembers from the _Kios_ as well as other battlestars and Colonial vessels that the Cylons encountered and didn't destroy right away.

They were processed at the Ostarsis Bay Airport on arrival; it was there that all of them had received a tattooed number on the underside of their left forearm. It was on the way to the transport buses that they made their escape. A scuffle broke out between a group of Army soldiers and the human model Cylons near them. She, Rigel, and Evans made their escape and managed to get away due to the confusion.

When enough people escaped to form a resistance group, Woods had been selected to be one of the three leaders. Her crew had taken shelter in an old hotel on the outskirts of Ostarsis Bay. They had blacked-out the windows, and did everything they could to be inconspicuous to the Cylon patrols that were undoubtedly searching for them.

Her mind wandered to her friend and former commanding officer, Scott Tolan was the man responsible for her promotion to Commander and getting command of the_Kios_. Their relationship had been tumultuous early on. They had been two years apart at the Academy, the night they first met she was a newly graduated officer and he was finishing up his tour of duty on _Galactica_.

She had been engaged to be married before her first deployment. Her wedding was two weeks from the day she graduated. Her friends had decided to 'loosen her up' before the big day. This involved taking her out for a night on the town, hitting the clubs in Caprica City.

Club Tavares was the name of the first club they went to, there were to be more that night but fate had a way of intervening. After drinking a few mixed drinks she let her friends talk her into approaching one of the men sitting at the bar. She introduced herself and found out his name was Scott Tolan. They hit the dance floor and they danced to every fast and slow song until she decided to introduce him to her friends.

They ended that night at his condo in the upscale Lasair district of Caprica City. He told her he was single, and from what she remembered of that night it wasn't an exaggeration on Tolan's part. It might have been all the alcohol she had, but she never told him about her fiancé and slept with him that night.

She let her friends know she was fine, and she spent the next two days with Scott. Their personalities clicked, though she liked the fact that he had the personality of a charming rogue. She managed to hide her shock at the revelation that he was a viper pilot awaiting new orders. He had been stationed on the Galactica for the past two years, and just finished Advanced Tactical Training on Picon. He had heard that he might be assigned to the Battlestar _Mercury_ but there was really no telling where he would end up at.

She had wanted to know how a viper pilot could afford a condo in such an upscale part of Caprica City. Scott had explained that it was a gift from an uncle back on Canceron. She tried to get him to elaborate but he refused to discuss it further, at least he didn't refuse in a way that was rude.

When she left his condo she had no intention of their paths crossing again. However that wasn't to be the case. Her friend Monique had gone to Robert Reynolds, the man who was her fiancé, and told him everything that had happened. It didn't take him long to find where Scott lived, and he was waiting for the chance to even the score.

When she opened the door to walk out he pushed his way in, knocking her down onto the floor. Scott came to check on the commotion and Robert swung and his fist connected with Scott's left temple. Robert then wrapped his right arm around Scott's throat and tried to choke him. Nothing prepared her for what was to happen next. Scott took his right foot and slammed it into Robert's shin, instantly breaking it. As Robert fell down, Scott drove his left elbow hard into Robert's head.

As Robert lay unconscious on the floor, Scott had turned to her and told her she had five minutes to explain what had just taken place.

Bridget and Robert broke up and called off the engagement. She dated afterwards but never got as serious of a commitment as she did from the other men. She and Scott never dated, but they did strike up a strong friendship. The only person who ever suspected that something more might have taken place was Emily. In an amazing show of intuition, Emily had surmised that the two of them had been intimately close at one point in time. Bridget assured her that they were strictly friends and they never slept together after that night, not to say that the sex wasn't great. Things had become too weird with the events of the day that Scott and Robert fought.

She moved up to the rank of Major and had become CAG of the _Alastor_. It was at this time that Scott had taken command of the _Vanguard_. He had gone through several interviews, but none had given him a sense of peace. He finally interviewed her and offered her the Executive Officer position. For the next four years they worked incredibly well together, and Scott taught her practically everything she knew about how to command a battlestar. She had wanted to be a Commander, but had no idea how quickly the chance would come. It was a shock to her the day that Scott told her that he submitted her name to become commander of the _Kios_.

She asked him why and he told her that the past two years on _Victorious_ had given her a knowledge needed to handle a sister-ship. Some people called them the_ Illustrious _Class, others referred to them as 'Improved Mercury' type battlestars, some called them 'MK-II _Mercury_', and others just referred to them as _Mercury_ class battlestars. Regardless, she was going to have a chance to command her own battlestar and put the lessons she had learned from Scott to use. In a way leaving_Victorious_ was bittersweet, she had helped to commission the battlestar and felt as though it was a part of her. Scott had told her to take the _Kios_ and make her one of the best battlestars in the Colonial Fleet.

Now she was leading a resistance group on Ostarsis, wondering if they would ever be rescued. She also couldn't help but wonder if Scott was still alive. If he had died with the rest of the Fleet, she hoped that it was quick and painless.

ALPHA STATION ONE:

"Alright Admiral which way do you want to take?" Maxwell asked as they reached the part of the corridor where the path went to the left and right.

"I'm already here on the right, so how about I go right and you go left?" Tolan said, looking down the corridor where only the emergency lights were on.

"Sounds good to me, but I want you to stay in constant radio contact with me. The last thing we need is to not know what each other's situation is." Maxwell said as he raised his weapon as if he was ready to fire.

"As far as Mr. Cain and Dr. Ravashol are concerned, would you be opposed to one going with me and the other going with you?" Tolan asked Maxwell.

"That makes sense to me. I'd wager that they both know something about this station and we may have a chance to find out what that is. I'll take Ravashol with me; we'll find a way to gain access to the upper levels of the station. You should try to gain access to the lower levels." Maxwell then nodded as if to say it was time for them to split up.

Tolan offered a handshake to General Maxwell, "Good hunting General Maxwell."

Maxwell nodded and gave Tolan's hand a firm handshake, "The same to you Admiral Tolan."

The two parties followed their leaders down the hallways, not knowing just what it was that Count Iblis had in store for them.

VICTORIOUS:

Jessica Jennings and Stadra Ah-Mun had left the Officer's Club and went to Jennings' stateroom to continue the conversation from earlier.

"You know I never realized just how cute Major Pontiere is. Do you think it's the lighting in the Officer's Club that gave that impression?" Stadra asked as she sat down in one of the two chairs that Jennings had in the room.

"Anton is cute; I think it's that dark brown hair and green eyes of his that catches your attention." Jessica sat in the chair across from Stadra and drank from a glass of water she had just poured.

"So have you thought about hooking up with him?"

Jessica smiled, "No I can't say that I have."

Stadra laughed, "What's holding you back from doing it?"

"Because Stadra, I never mix business with pleasure. I work with Anton in CIC, and I'm the voice of _Victorious_ according to the pilots so I can't exactly hook up with them either." Jessica sighed.

"I hate to sound mean Jessica, but it sounds like you're looking for reasons not to be involved with anyone."

"It's not that Stadra, I just feel that with everything that's gone on since the Cylons attacked that it's hard to be that close to someone who may be gone the next day or even the next minute."

"Give it time Jessica; eventually the Cylons will leave us alone. You have the Colonial Fleet working with the Eastern Alliance. That's not a bad combination at a time like this."

"Yeah, well let's change the subject." Jessica said, knowing that she didn't want to think about the Cylons at that point in time, "You may want to be careful around Captain Pittman, Spartan has a tendency to give the rookies his own personal initiation."

Stadra's face didn't show any surprise, "I was wondering why he started looking at me the way he did. Though that changed the moment that Colonel Graystone entered the room."

Jessica couldn't hide the surprise on her face, "Oh my Gods, you have no idea what's going on there do you Stadra?"

Now Stadra was confused, "Sorry Jessica, I haven't really had time to look over Colonel Graystone's or Captain Pittman's files."

"Alright…" Jessica began, "You do know that Colonel Graystone is Admiral Tolan's brother-in-law?"

Stadra nodded, "Of course I knew that is there something I'm missing?"

"The CAG before Captain Pittman was Major Andrea Graystone, Colonel Graystone's twin sister and Admiral Tolan's sister-in-law."

Stadra's expression didn't change, "So what does that have to do with Captain Pittman and Colonel Graystone?"

Jessica leaned in close to Stadra, "Captain Pittman and Major Graystone were sleeping together, and Major Graystone got pregnant. About the time she found out was when the _Olympica_ Riots occurred. Admiral Kronus relieved the Graystones and Admiral Tolan of duty when it was discovered that Emily Tolan had been injured in the riots. The fact is that whether the riots happened or not that Major Graystone was going to have to step down as CAG."

"So the tension between Pittman and Colonel Graystone is from this?"

"Let's just say that those two haven't quite talked things out when he came in to the Officer's Club tonight and there's no telling how it's going to end between them."

Stadra shook her head in disbelief, "How is it that you know all this Jessica?"

Jessica grinned, "I'm the Communications Officer, and it's my job to keep an ear out for any information. You learn an awful lot from scuttlebutt, the stories I can tell you!"

Now it was Stadra's turn to grin, "Well we're not leaving for another day so why don't you fill me in."

ALPHA STATION ONE:

Iblis watched the video screens as the two groups worked their way though the mazes of hallways. They were penetrating the interior of the station towards their rather unpleasant surprise. He was wondering just how Tolan and Maxwell would react to the people who were now mindless monsters. They weren't expecting it, which was something that made the events of the near future even better.

He pressed a series of buttons, and elsewhere in the station doors began to open. Iblis had unleashed two hundred weapons of destruction on Tolan and the Colonial Marines.

ALPHA STATION ONE (Tolan):

"What exactly are we looking for Admiral?" Corporal Ellis asked as they turned another corner heading down another hallway that didn't look any different from where they had just been.

"I believe Mr. Cain may have an idea." Tolan said as he held up his hand, a silent order to the group to stop.

"Well let me think here…"Cain said as he closed his eyes and tried to think. "If we can find a computer console somewhere then maybe I can access a map of the station and other information that may be of use to us. I have my wireless laptop and other tools with me that will get me pass any security measure; we just need to keep looking until we find what I need."

"That'll work Mr. Cain, by the way do you have your sidearm drawn?" Tolan asked as he looked off in the distance.

"As a matter of fact Admiral I have it right here in its holster, why do you ask?" Cain asked quizzically.

"Because Mr. Cain I hear something in the distance and I have no idea if it is friendly or otherwise." Tolan said, as he slung the machine gun onto his back and removed his sidearm from its holster.

ALPHA STATION ONE (Maxwell):

Maxwell led his Marines through the maze of corridors on Alpha Station One. To his left was Dr. Daimon Ravashol and to his right was John "Doc" Brooks, one of the medical corpsmen in his regiment.

"Alright Dr. Ravashol, do you have any idea where we should head?" Maxwell said, holding up his right hand as a sign to those behind him to stop.

Ravashol looked rather uncomfortable and couldn't look Maxwell in the eye. "I'm not quite sure what it is you're trying to get from me. Wouldn't it be easier just to try to download the schematics for the station?"

Maxwell grinned, "For a station that supposedly doesn't exist I'm not sure there are schematics for it, and on top of that if there are any what are the odds that they are authentic and not just there to confuse intruders?"

Ravashol didn't say anything; he just kept looking at the floor.

"That's what I thought doctor. Now I want you to be honest with me on this. Have you ever been to this station before?"

Ravashol was perplexed, "I don't know what good I am going to be to you General Maxwell. It's not like I have ever…"

Maxwell cut him off annoyed, "Have you ever been here before Doctor Ravashol? A simple 'Yes' or "No' will do the job nicely."

Ravashol didn't say anything for a few seconds, but it was enough to annoy Maxwell more. He pulled out his sidearm and pointed it at Ravashol.

Ravashol's eyes grew wide with terror, "General Maxwell that's totally unnecessary!"

Maxwell tilted his head to the left while lining up his shot, "It seems to be Doctor, now answer my question or you will be very sorry in the next four seconds."

Ravashol froze, "General you can't be serious?"

Maxwell raised his left eyebrow as if saying 'Try me.', "One."

Ravashol didn't say anything though his mind was reeling.

"Two." Maxwell said, his gun pointed at the doctor.

"Alright, I'll tell you what you need to know, just put that damn weapon down!" Ravashol blurted out, convinced that Maxwell was serious.

Maxwell holstered the weapon, "Sounds good to me doctor, now tell me everything you know about this station."

Ravashol took a deep breath and then began to speak, "I was assigned here before I took the position at Lascaris. This is a highly-classified station, so much so that I shouldn't even be speaking to you about it."

Maxwell chuckled, "Considering the circumstances doctor, I doubt the Colonial government is going to be too concerned about you spilling the beans."

Ravashol gave him an annoyed look, "As I was saying General, this the main base of the Colonial Intelligence Ministry, not to mention there is a top-secret project going on here that even I'm not too sure about."

"What project are you talking about?" Maxwell asked, not sure if he was going to like what the answer would be.

"A genetics research project was underway here, as well as a battle suit that was being developed by the Castor Corporation's Weapons Research Division. That was the sole responsibility of Doctor Aaron Buchanan. In fact it was his idea to move me to Lascaris; he wanted to have the control of the station all to himself. So now you know all that I know, there is a chance General Maxwell that we are in real danger here. There's no telling what might have happened here. We should just leave and never come back." Ravashol leaned back against the wall, finally unburdening himself of all the information he carried.

"It would have been nice if you had told us this back when you got to the station. Otherwise I wouldn't have split up my force." Maxwell shook his head and then shouted, "Hawkins! Get Admiral Tolan for me; try to reach him on the short wireless."

There was a hissing sound as a door suddenly came down, separating Maxwell, Brooks, and Ravashol from the rest of the group. The Marines were stunned, and then tried to retreat back the way they came. The only problem was that a door behind them had closed as quickly as the one in front of them. Through a window in the door in front of them, Maxwell could watch his Marines act as a yellowish gas began to fill the room.

Maxwell instinctively took out his sidearm and fired at the glass, only to discover that the glass was bulletproof. Inside the Marines were gasping for air, then suddenly they began screaming and attacking each other. All the three men could do as each of the Marines fell to one another in combat.

Maxwell beat his fists against the glass, knowing that it was a futile gesture.

"Welcome to my home General Maxwell and friends." The deep ominous voice was coming over one of the speakers in the wall.

"Whoever you are, you just made the worst mistake of your life!" Maxwell bellowed with rage.

"You aren't in a position to scare me General, but don't worry. We will meet soon enough, and you will have a chance to see if you can back up your words."

"Tell me your name; I want to put a name to the bastard that killed my Marines." His voice was thunderous as it echoed off the steel walls of the corridor.

"You are mistaken General Maxwell, I didn't kill your Marines. As you saw with your own eyes, they killed themselves. Since you did ask, I am Count Maximus Iblis. I do hope that satisfies your curiosity."

Iblis then spoke again, "What I did was use a hallucinogenic gas on your Marines. They thought they were being attacked and responded appropriately. Don't worry General Maxwell; I have many more tricks up my sleeve. You haven't even seen half of what I'm capable of."

Ravashol walked up to Maxwell and put a hand on his shoulder, "We should get moving General. At the top of the station is where we should find Dr. Buchanan's office. There might be some information on Iblis and the experiments that were done on him."

Maxwell nodded, his body still trembling with rage. "Very well doctor, lead the way."

Ravashol thought for a second, "Down this corridor and to the left is a stairway that has access to every floor of the station. Only we doctors and higher-ups had access to it. If I recall correctly my access wasn't removed when I was transferred, Dr. Buchanan thought if I was needed here then I could easily gain access to all areas."

"Sounds like a plan to me, when we reach Dr. Buchanan's office we'll attempt to contact Admiral Tolan and inform him of who we're up against here." Maxwell said, drawing his sidearm in case he would have to use it.

ALPHA STATION ONE (Tolan):

"Defensive positions, we have another wave coming!" Tolan's voice thundered as he gave the Marines the order to regroup into the square formation he had them in. They were at a crossroads where four corridors intersected at. They were there waiting for Mitchell Cain to hack into the station's computer system from his wireless laptop computer.

One group knelt on one knee with their machine guns ready to fire. The group behind them stood straight with their weapons pointed in the same direction as the person in front. The people they encountered were more like mindless zombies than regular people. They were obviously people who lived and worked at the station, judging by the way they were dressed. It was also obvious that they had gone mad or worse.

"Singh can you establish communications with Maxwell or Krulak's group?" Scott asked, he was in the middle of the square where his communications officer Devi Singh, Mitchell Cain, and medical corpsman Matt James.

"Negative Admiral, I can't seem to reach either one." Singh said as she tried again to get in touch with either Maxwell or Krulak.

"Keep trying until you're able to reach them." Tolan said as all the guns in his group went off as the wave of attackers came within range.

"I have an idea Admiral." Cain said as he touched Tolan's shoulder to get his attention. "I've hacked into the computer terminal here and brought up the schematics for the station. If we head through this door to the supply area for this level of the station we can regroup and form our strategy for what to do next. The door has a numeric lock on it that I doubt any of our attackers will know."

Tolan thought for a second, "Alright Cain, I'll give you ten to get it done."

Mitchell walked over to the door and began to use a device to find the number combination, "Ten minutes should be plenty of time for me."

Tolan raised an eyebrow, "I meant seconds Cain not minutes."

Carillon:

"Wait a minute; you're telling me that you're giving me a basestar of my own and an army of Centurions to hunt down Scott Tolan and the rest of the fleet?" Hector Alonzo looked at William Arnold with a look of incredulity.

"That's correct Mr. Alonzo. We have our resources somewhat stretched at the moment. Battlestar Group 66 and the other vessels that it's protecting represent the largest amassed group of Colonial vessels to survive the attack on the Twelve Colonies. We feel that you have spent enough time around Admirals Tolan and Kronus to know how they think and can anticipate the moves they are likely to attempt."

"What about my family, would I be able to spare them the destruction that would undoubtedly be inflicted on the Fleet?"

Arnold smiled, "Absolutely Hector, in return for the great service you have done for us we will be more than happy to accommodate your requests."

"Well then Mr. Arnold, let me gather my people up and we shall begin making preparations to move to my basestar. I can assure you that we will finish Scott Tolan once and for all." Hector said as he stood up from the table the two men had been sitting at. He felt confident and more assured of himself than ever. He had resigned himself to the idea of staying on Carillon for the rest of his days. The truth of the matter was that he was going to end this battle on his terms and have his vengeance on the man who had marooned him on this planet.

William Arnold was also pleased with himself. He had convinced the other six Cylons that Hector Alonzo and the survivors from Demand Peace would be useful to them in their campaign against the Colonials. With Hector in charge of a basestar and a small army of his own, it would free up Cylon resources to be used against the other survivors. They could put more towards stopping the _Galactica_ and the other surviving battlestars.


	5. Chapter 5: Pathways

**Ten Months Ago:**

**Battlestar **_**Kios**_** (BS-84):**

The battlestar _Kios_, the first battlestar named after the Picon city where the Fleet Academy and Headquarters had been established, was launched two months ago. Now was the process of outfitting before final delivery to the Colonial Fleet. There was still about two to three months of work to be done before Kios could become part of the Fleet. Installation of the ship's power plant, engines, and other machinery had been finished. Interior equipment and systems such as electrical, plumbing, and HVAC was just about complete. All that remained was the finishing of interior spaces and installation of furnishings.

"It won't be too long until the yard finishes outfitting the interior. Then you can take her out on the shakedown cruise and get her brought up to Colonial Fleet standards." Scott Tolan said before taking a sip coffee out of the large cup he had brought onboard.

Bridget Woods ran her left hand along the bulkhead beside her, "It's unreal that this is all taking place. I'm in my mid-thirties and ready to take command of my own battlestar. The best part is that it's a brand new ship of the most powerful class in the Fleet."

The _Illustrious_ class was a sub-class of the _Mercury_ class battlestar. Some considered it a different class altogether but that was mainly for technical purposes. From a distance they were identical to the _Mercury_ battlestars, but the _Illustrious_ class battlestars were ¼ longer and wider. They also boasted a ventilation system that was massively revised, details of protection were altered and hundreds of changes were executed, both large and small. They were able to carry more fuel and water for deployments, and some of the armaments had been rearranged. The wider bow allowed for more ship defense weapons to be mounted, which served to greatly improve the forward ship and air defenses. With the additional space provided by the enlarged hull there was room for several small missile turrets as well as point-defense guns to aid in combating enemy craft such as the Cylon raiders. The expanded hangar deck carried room for twenty more vipers as well as ten raptors. The crew compliment was the same as a standard _Mercury _class battlestar, essentially a way of carrying more firepower without having to increase the crew complement. The electronics suite had been upgraded and optimized so that in some ways ships such as the _Kios _and_Victorious _were superior to the _Mercury_.

"You earned it Bridget, you've got a bright mind and you learned well from our time on the _Vanguard_ and _Victorious_. You now have experience with the _Illustrious_ class, something that not many can claim." Scott put a hand on her shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"I owe it to you though, if you hadn't have put my name to the Selection Committee I doubt I'd have been given the _Kios_." She turned to her body sideways to move out of the way of a ladder in their path, the workers were installing of the fiber-optic cable that was running along the ceiling.

"If I felt you weren't ready then I wouldn't have done it. Besides, what's the fun of being an admiral if I can't at least pull a few strings?" Scott said, it had probably been one of the few times he had used his position as an admiral to get something he wanted done.

"True Scott, I suppose there is a part of me that's worried about just how prepared I am for this." Bridget said just a tad bit nervously.

"Even if you are worried about it, just remember one thing."

"What's that?"

Scott smiled at her, "Bravery is being the only one who knows you're afraid. If your crew ever sees you worried or afraid then it'll trickle down and affect their performances. You're the Commander; you set the example for the entire ship."

"You see that's why having you as my CO was so good for me!" Bridget said, they turned left at a corner and were now walking towards where her quarters would be at.

"Alright Commander Woods, now remember the most important thing I told you about commanding a battlestar?" Tolan asked as they came to the doors leading to the room that would be her quarters.

Bridget thought for a second, "If brute force doesn't work then it means you didn't use enough of it?"

Scott shook his head, "No, but that is more true than even I realize."

"Alright Scott, what was it?"

Scott smiled at her, "Don't look conspicuous; it draws fire. For this reason, it is not at all uncommon for battlestars to be known as 'bomb magnets'. At least that was the case during the Cylon War."

"If we're ever attacked I'll be sure to remember that one!" Bridget walked away laughing with joy. She was the commanding officer of one of the newest battlestars to be commissioned into the Colonial Fleet.

Tolan let her walk away. The way he thought it out, it wouldn't be wrong for her to go exploring more of the ship she would be in command of. There was a part of him that wished she was still his XO, it was a job she was damn good at.

**Present:**

**Ostarsis:**

Bridget felt the hand touch her shoulder and she reacted instantly. Her right hand went up and grabbed the intruder by the neck. With her free left hand she took out a knife she kept underneath her pillow and pulled it up to strike. It was then that her eyes focused on the person and who she saw caused her arm to stop midway through its striking motion.

"Darius! What the frak do you think you're doing? You could have gotten yourself killed just now." She dropped the knife onto the bed and released the hold on his throat so he could speak.

"Sorry Bridget, I was excited and didn't think clearly." Darius said. He was very tall and had a largely-muscled build, somewhat like a darker version of Scott Tolan. He had tattoos on his arms and shoulders, which gave the Eastern Alliance pirate an even more intimidating look.

Bridget scoffed, "You really think there's anything going on here that is worth getting excited over?"

Darius only said one sentence, "Climb Mt. Tibris."

Bridget's eyes lit up, "You're telling me that Magnus Ah-Mun did it?"

Darius nodded his head, "Yes he did, he found an entire Colonial Fleet battlestar group and they are in the Pallas Nebula planning our rescue."

Bridget smiled, "Now that is the kind of news that I've been waiting to hear! Do you have a list of the battlestars in the group?"

"Sorry, that was sent to us but it was given several more encryptions. Bonilla is working on it and hopefully within the hour we'll know the identity of our rescuers."

Bridget looked down at her forearm where the Cylons had tattooed her prisoner number. "It won't be long and then this nightmare will be over."

"Yes it will be, thank the Gods!" Darius exclaimed.

"Thank the Gods indeed. I need to go wake Rigel and Evans, I want them to get the news from directly from me."

"Why don't you just wait and tell them when we have our group has its next meeting in five hours?"

"Because unless there are others that haven't been killed by the Cylons yet, those two are the only crew I have left from the _Kios_. That gives us a certain bond that we don't have with the rest of the Resistance."

Bridget then asked Darius to leave the room. She was only wearing a long t-shirt, something she had appropriated from a department store they had raided for supplies. Even though she was close to Darius, she wasn't close enough to have him in the room with her while she changed clothes.

**Alpha Station One (Tolan):**

The keypad on the door beeped as its light turned green. They were now inside of a storage area on the station. Tolan knew that there was a chance of the enemy lurking nearby, which made the noise he heard behind the large door in front of them cause him to wonder just what lay behind there.

"Cain, I want you to seal off the door we just came in. See if you can make sure that nobody can use that keypad from the outside. The rest of you draw your weapons, I'll open the door and if it's more of those frakkers then we'll waste them." Tolan walked over to the handle of the door and pulled the latch. He then held up his right hand and raised three fingers. He then lowered each one and pulled the door open.

"We're civilians, please don't shoot us!" There was a group of about twenty-five people in the large storage closet. They looked disheveled and smelled like they were in desperate need of a shower.

"Colonial Fleet, we've boarded this station looking for supplies. Who is in charge?" Tolan asked, as he lowered his pistol and motioned for the Marines to lower their weapons.

"That would be me." An early middle-aged woman with brown hair said as she walked up to Tolan and extended her hand. "Dr. Jane Lambert, head of Computer Information Systems here on the station. Now would you please tell me who you are?"

"Admiral Scott Tolan, I'm the commanding officer of Battlestar Group 66. My flagship is the _Victorious_. We encountered some hostiles on the way here; I admit we stumbled into finding you. Would you be so kind as to tell me who those people are and what in the name of the Gods is going on here?"

"Well it all started with this experiment in..." Lambert said as she began to tell Tolan the story of Iblis and by the time she was finished Tolan was shaking his head in disbelief. "That's quite a story Dr. Lambert. Especially when you consider Count Iblis being here on the station was the cause behind all this. Here is what we're going to do. First we are going to escort you to the hangar deck and there you will be taken to _Victorious_ for medical exams, a shower, change of clothes, and a debriefing on everything you know. I also want you to let me know how to access the data core so I can copy all the files and bring them with me." He saw the look on her face and realized that the idea wasn't popular with her, "This isn't a request and before you argue with me about the Colonial government not approving, then you are in for a shock."

Tolan told her of the Cylon attack on the Colonies and all that had taken place since that time. It seemed that the station being as isolated as it was, nobody was aware of the Cylons having returned.

"When you put it that way Admiral Tolan, I'll give you my full cooperation." Dr. Lambert said, her body language clearly showing how distressed she was feeling.

**Alpha Station One (Hangar Bay):**

"They're coming again Colonel!" The voice of Corporal Lance Edmonds was a mix of excitement and apprehension. The group of ten had been fighting hard to keep from being overwhelmed.

"Open fire, and this time make sure they stay down!" Colonel Jake Krulak bellowed as he aimed his machine gun and opened fire.

Larsen Banks and Frederick Lokrum both had their service pistols drawn and were doing their part to bring down the attackers. Magic was the better shot out of the two but Lokrum was holding his own.

"Sure Banks, we join the Colonial Fleet as pilots for a chance to see a little adventure. Nobody ever told me that I'd be on a relic of a station. Not to mention that we are on a top secret one on top of it, shooting near-zombies that are trying to kill us. I think I've had enough adventure to last me a few days!" Lokrum said in between firing rounds.

"There'll be plenty of time to complain later." Banks said, "For now though, less talk and more shooting!"

"Aye aye sir," Lokrum said as he lined up his sights for another shot, "Did you know that you have a little lipstick on your neck Magic?"

"Thank you Captain Obvious! If I had my way I'd much rather still be doing what caused the lipstick to be on my neck!" Banks then thought to himself, 'Damn it, I thought I got it all off. Jamie would be proud of herself!'

**Picon:**

**Helios:**

Kios was the city on Picon where the Colonial Fleet Headquarters as well as the Colonial Fleet Academy were located. The black obsidian stone entrances to both of them were located on the red cobblestone street of the Terrace of the Lions. Every couple of feet there was a marble lion sculpture. Fleet Headquarters was on the left hand side of the street and directly across from it on the right was the Academy. The entrance for each location was flanked on both sides by a giant marble lion with gold plating on most of its body. On the pedestal each sat on was an inscription: _Eternal Vigilance_. Nestled on the shore in the shadow of the Kios Mountains, the city grew from its inland location to the edge of the beach. It was quite possibly the largest city on the colony. The Advanced Tactical Training school wasn't located in Kios, but was instead kept separate from the Academy.

Naomi Sakura couldn't help but shudder when she saw the devastation that had been visited on Kios when the Cylons attacked. Headquarters was a burned out ruin, barely any buildings were left standing. The Academy had been demolished almost as badly as Fleet Headquarters, but there were still some of the buildings that hadn't been obliterated when the Cylons attacked. The Priene Bridge, built over the Tanais River that ran through the Academy and separated it into two campuses was there as well. It was a testament to the quality of work the engineers had done when the bridge was constructed.

"_Helios_ this is Commander Sakura, do you copy?" Naomi spoke into her communicator as she surveyed the damage along with the rest of her search party.

"Commander Sakura, this is _Helios_. We read you loud and clear." The voice of Colonel Jose Cordova was reassuring to her. She had pulled rank and said that as Commander it was her prerogative to lead the search party. He didn't like it but he relented and didn't fight her on it.

"From our visual observation coming in we saw that the Kios Medical Center was still intact with little sign of structural damage. We're going to make our way there to see if we can round up some medical supplies to bring back with us." Sakura told Cordova so that he would know what her plan of attack would be.

She turned to the ten members of the deck gang she brought with her. "If we follow the Terrace all the way down then we'll come up on the Kios Medical Center. We're going to do a sweep for supplies that we can return to the _Helios_. We are going to be in radio contact with one another and nobody is going to search alone. I will be with Lt. Samiran during the search and I will let Chief Alexios decide how the rest of you will be divided. Let's grab our gear and we'll be at the hospital in five minutes to begin our search."

With that said she turned around and began to head towards the hospital. The sun was shining brightly, they had managed to sneak in during the morning hours and not be noticed by any Cylons that were reported to have been in the area. They could have tried to land on the helo pad that was on top of the hospital, but the structure and the roof didn't look entirely sturdy. If their luck held out then they would be able to get to the hospital without being discovered by the Cylons.

**Alpha Station One (Maxwell):**

The three men moved in silence up the stairway that Ravashol had pointed out to them. It looked as though the stairway was going to end after the next couple of flights.

"Dr. Ravashol what's waiting for us at the top?" Maxwell asked, as he stopped on the step in front of him and faced the two men behind him.

"That's the elevator that leads up to Dr. Buchanan's office. The stairway only goes so far, and then the elevator goes up the rest of the way. I happen to know the password so using that won't be a problem."

Maxwell then stepped to the side and motioned for Ravashol to lead on. "Very well then, lead on doctor."

They went up the next couple of flights and it was there that they were met by the polished steel doors of the elevator Ravashol had told them about.

"Alright gentlemen, if you would allow me a moment to get this open." Ravashol said as he motioned Maxwell and Brooks to back off a few paces.

He hit a button and a panel opened up revealing a keypad with numbers and letters on it. He typed quite a few keys and then the doors opened up on the elevator.

"Not bad work Ravashol, though I would appreciate it if you could give me the password to the elevator." Maxwell said as he entered the elevator after Ravashol and Brooks entered.

"Very well General Maxwell." Ravashol said, not wanting to provoke the wrath of a general who had just lost almost all of the troops under his command. "The password is '12345'".

Maxwell shot him a disbelieving glance, "I didn't see you hit any numbers on that keypad. How in the name of the Gods did that become a password?"

Ravashol shook his head, as though talking to a child. "The trick is that the numbers are spelled out and ran together so that it makes one long word."

Ravashol then pressed the button for Dr. Buchanan's office and the elevator began making its way to the top of the station.

'Why is this damn elevator so slow?' Ravashol thought as the journey to the top of the station began.

**Carter**

**Ochoa:**

The CIC of _Atlantia _was tense with anticipation of what they were to find. Admiral Tyrone Carter's battle group had already visited several civilian shipyards that hadn't been touched by the Cylons. They found several civilian freighters and a couple of old space liners that had been out of commission. Among these ships were some of the yard crew that had been grateful to have the Colonial Fleet come to their rescue, the two yards he visited had seen workers living off of the last few supplies they had.

There was a surprising find at the Siris shipyard. A small squadron of scout vessels had docked there and powered down for a small maintenance period. Word had reached of the Cylons attacking, but the ships had been powered down and it was nearly impossible to get them going again with all the confusion that was going on. Along with the repair ships that were at the yard the fleet now included the scout ships _Broadsword_,_Gladius_, _Saber_, _Scimitar_, and _Rapier_. The _Atlantia_ provided the necessary fuel and power generators to get the ships going again, and now they were heading towards the Pallas Nebula.

Battlestar Group 67 was now heading to the Ochoa sector. There was a large depot of Colonial Fleet supplies here. Provided they hadn't been touched by the Cylons then there would be plenty of fuel, food, and medical supplies to bring to the fleet for use in the rescue operation and beyond.

"Ms. Dalton I want you to give me a status report as soon as you can." Carter said, keeping his eyes on the DRADIS screen.

"There's some interference with DRADIS, I'm trying to sort through it but its taking time." Lt. Cora Dalton worked furiously at her tactical station to figure out what was going on.

"Mr. Vega, I want the alert vipers launched in case there are any Cylons out there." Carter said as he kept waiting for the DRADIS screen to clear up.

"Admiral, I'm counting five Cylon basestars off of our port beam. They're launching raiders." Dalton's voice rose as she began telling Carter the reports from DRADIS.

"Five basestars against four battlestars…" Carter wanted nothing more than to face the Cylons, but he couldn't help but feel conflicted about preserving his forces for the Ostarsis rescue mission. He knew he had little to no time to make a decision; it was just a matter of which one was best.

**Ochoa:**

Flanked by two basestars on each side, Hector Alonzo couldn't help but feel his luck improving. The Cylons had given him five of their slightly older basestars to pursue Tolan and the rest of the fleet with. Now he had encountered the Atlantia and three of the other battlestars.

William Arnold was standing to his right, "It appears our intelligence reports were right on the money about this one Hector. Let's launch everything we have and teach a lesson that they won't forget."

Hector rubbed his chin with his left hand, "Yes Mr. Arnold let's do just that. Launch the raiders and damage them as much as you can. Don't destroy them though; we'll be the cat playing with the mouse before it kills it."

**Picon:**

Sakura looked down the darkened hallway from the stairwell she was in. The only light coming down was from the rooms where the doors were opened and the sunlight from the windows shown through. She drew her pistol and slowly crept down the hallway with Lt. Samiran following behind her. They were hoping to find some supplies on this floor that they might be able to use.

She reached the station where the nurses on duty would have been at. She saw a map of the floor and bent over to pick it up so that she could get an idea of what to look for. She was looking at it and mentally taking note of the locations when she heard Samiran groan with pain and hit the floor. She turned around and found herself facing six people all with guns drawn and pointed at her.

"One of the best things you can do right now is dropping that weapon and slowly back away from it." The young woman in the center said to her.

She had blue eyes and her long, straight, silky blonde hair was worn in a carefully-crafted, businesslike style. She had an athletic build and her high cheekbones gave her a dignified look. Her skin was deeply-tanned and she had what Naomi could only describe as an elegant nose and full lips. She reminded Sakura of someone, but she just couldn't put her finger on it.

"I'm a commander with the Colonial Fleet, we're here looking for supplies." Sakura began but she was cut off by the young woman.

"That's a load of crap from where we're standing. We know the toasters can look like us now. For all we know you could be one of them."

Sakura took a deep breath and slowly let it out, "My name is Naomi Sakura. My serial number is GI-847318; I am currently the commanding officer of the Battlestar _Helios_. My ship is part of Battlestar Group 66"

The young woman's eyes glimmered with recognition and she once more cut off Sakura, "Admiral Tolan's battle group. He's still alive?"

Sakura nodded, "Yes he is, we've been on the run from the Cylons for the past seven months. Do you know the admiral?"

The young woman nodded, "Quite well, he's my first cousin. Commander Sakura, I am Cadet Lacey Tolan of the Academy sophomore class."

Sakura was confused, "Admiral Tolan is forty years old, and you're probably nineteen. Am I right?"

Lacey nodded, "Our grandfather stayed a very 'active' man into his later years. My father was his youngest son. My parents were killed in a car crash on Colonial Day back when I was five. I was sent to live with my Aunt Sylvia, Scott's mother."

Sakura conceded that it was plausible, "Well Cadet Tolan that is a story that makes a lot of sense. Give me whatever info you can on this place, such as everyone with your group, and how long it will take to have all of you ready to transport to _Helios_."

**Alpha Station One (Maxwell):**

The elevator opened up and the three men found themselves in a small hallway. At the end was a door with Dr. Buchanan's name on it. On the right side of the hallway was a door marked 'Security'. The door to the Security office was slightly ajar, as though someone had left and forgotten to close the door all the way.

"Let's open it up and see what's inside." Maxwell said as he moved to where he was in front of the two men and opened up the door.

The lights were still on, and there was a somewhat metallic smell in the air. On the far wall was a set of television screens showing access to the major parts of the station. On the opposite wall was a large plasma screen and on it were pictures of himself and Admiral Tolan.

"Admiral Tolan is going to be pissed when he sees this." Ravashol said, as his eyes fixed on the pictures.

"What would make you say a think like that doctor?" Maxwell asked.

"Because this information underneath his picture states that he is still a Rear Admiral when we know he was 'promoted' to Fleet Admiral."

Maxwell chuckled, "I guess the Fleet Information Services needs to get on the ball about this and change that right away. I'm sure Tolan will lose plenty of sleep knowing that officially he is still just a lowly rear admiral."

"Oh Gods, the two of you need to check this out!" Brooks said as he motioned the two men to come to the security camera area.

They saw from the footage that the people in the Hangar Bay were in a firefight for their lives. Tolan and his force were stealthily leading a group of people through corridors, though he had no idea what the destination was.

A flash of metal caught his eye on one of the lower screens. Maxwell looked more closely at it, but it was too late. He could have swore that he had seen a metal covered shoulder move across the screen, but it had been too fast for his mind to register it.

"Let's go check out Buchanan's office, and then we'll come back here and see what kind of assistance we can provide Tolan and Krulak." Maxwell said as he turned away from the screens and headed towards the door.

Atlantia:

"Set Condition One throughout the fleet. I want all vipers launched and ready to engage the raiders. We won't stay long; I just want to bloody their noses a bit." Carter said as he looked up at the DRADIS screen. He knew that the logical thing to do was leave and save the fighting for another day. However his warrior sense of pride and honor dictated that he at least fire off a parting shot.

"Admiral Carter, the lead basestar is hailing us." Lt. Vega announced a couple of seconds after Carter gave his orders.

"Very well Mr. Vega, patch me through." Carter stated as he picked up the receiver and held it to his left ear. "This is Atlantia Actual."

"I was expecting Admiral Kronus to still be in command of Atlantia, I'm surprised Admiral Tolan's lapdog is off on his own." The voice was filled with confidence and a healthy dose of arrogance.

It wasn't long for Carter to recognize who he was talking to, "Hector Alonzo, shouldn't your sorry ass be on Carillon along with the rest of those bastards?"

Alonzo chuckled, "The Cylons made me an offer that I couldn't refuse. Plus I feel I owe you and Tolan a little payback for marooning me on that planet. The two of you will be sorry for what you did."

'I'm already sorry for it; we should've killed you when we had the chance.' Carter thought to himself.

"You know there is a special place in the depths of the afterlife for men such yourselves." Alonzo said, trying to trigger the temper that Carter was rumored to have.

"Well then Hector, why don't you go first and mark the place for Admiral Tolan and myself to find once we get there." Carter refused to take the bait, as much as he would have loved to get angry with the man.

"Sorry Carter, I'm not going to give you that satisfaction. I see your vipers are launching, now to show you that I am as strong of a tactician as your beloved Admiral Tolan. This conversation is over."

Carter put the receiver down and took a deep breath and thought to himself, 'Mr. Alonzo, you are no Admiral Tolan and that's for damn sure.'

There was only one thin left to do. He looked up at the DRADIS to watch the performance of his task force's viper squadrons.

Alpha Station One (Maxwell):

The door to Dr. Buchanan's office wasn't locked, and swung open easily when Maxwell pushed on it. The walls were a dark wood, and were decorated with various pictures. There were degrees from Caprica City University and the University of Kios. There was a decent amount of memorabilia as well, such as a large Caprica Buccaneers flag. It seemed Dr. Aaron Buchanan hadn't hurt for items to display in his office.

"It looks empty General, no sign of anyone here." Ravashol said. He moved towards the large wooden desk sitting directly in front of them.

"As I learned with my first wife, looks can be deceiving." Maxwell said, he noticed a closet on the far right of the room. He walked over to it and opened it only to find clothes and not much else.

"General Maxwell I think you should take a look at this." Brooks said as he picked up a notebook that was lying on the desk.

The notebook was in fact the journal of Dr. Aaron Buchanan.

"Let's see just what the good doctor had going on here." Maxwell said as he flipped the pages back to where the first entry was located.

_**DAY 1: Iblis is scheduled to arrive tomorrow. The technicians have assured me that all is set for the arrival and the project can begin right away. I have my reservations about using a murderer for this, but I have been told by the highest authorities that the killing tendencies Iblis possesses can be turned off with medication and gene therapy. Considering how hard I had to campaign to get this post instead of that arrogant prick Ravashol I must be as accommodating as I can. **_

_**DAY 10: Iblis seems to be responding well to the medications we have given him. Gene therapy is slowly progressing, but the important part is that it is progressing. So far Iblis has been quite calm and sociable for the most part. He has that air about him that one would expect from a Leonisian noble. Perhaps in the next few days we can begin working on finalizing measurements for the weapons suit…"**_

"That's unbelievable!" Ravashol exclaimed.

"I agree with you, the fact that we have a madman running around here with that piece of equipment is unsettling." Maxwell said his eyes still on the entry or Day 10.

Ravashol was puzzled, "Not that General, the fact that Dr. Buchanan referred to me as an 'arrogant prick' is quite troubling."

"We really need to sit down and have a talk about the need to prioritize information." Maxwell said before turning his attention to the notebook.

_**DAY 24: **_

_**After the completion of the gene therapy we are ready to install the weapons suit on Iblis. We have made him stronger, faster, and an all-around more powerful human. The suit should be enhanced by this. People still whisper that we are going to make a huge mistake by using Iblis as our prototype, but I am beginning to feel that my worries have been baseless. Besides, once we have made this program a success we already have a plan to deal with our test subject. The suit had been designed with a 'kill switch' on the back of the suit just below the top of the spine. The switch injects a deadly overdose of medications designed to paralyze the body's muscles directly into his bloodstream. **_

_**DAY 26:**_

_**We have finished fitting Iblis with the weapons suit, now we have the next five months to test the suit and see if it is going to meet the standards set by the Colonial Military. Count Iblis has been most cooperative and has not caused slightest bit of trouble for us. He doesn't know of the kill switch, which is something, only me and a few of the technicians know about.**_

"Well this is interesting…" Maxwell said as he read the entry about the kill switch.

"What is it; does Dr. Buchanan explain why he called me a prick?" Ravashol asked.

Maxwell shot him an annoyed look, "Dr. Ravashol maybe would be best if you just shut up and only speak when spoken to."

Ravashol was going to say something but appeared to have thought better of it.

_**DAY 164:**_

_**Alarms began going off today shortly before the morning shift change began. I rushed to the security room down the hall and saw scenes on the monitors that made my blood run cold. Iblis has somehow managed to murder almost everyone on the floors below. Only the security team and I are alive from the look of things. I've barricaded myself in my office; nobody is going to come in until I can figure out what to make of this travesty. **_

_**DAY 167:**_

_**It has been three days since Iblis put his evil plan into action. I heard fighting outside of my door and I am sure that the three security officers here on this floor are now dead. That bastard has taunted me from the other side of the door to my office. He says that my death in inevitable and I should just open the door and let it be over with. I will not do such a thing, though in my mind I know what he says is true. I hear the lock turning and now the door is beginning to open. He is here…**_

Maxwell looked down the page and saw a splash of deep red that was unmistakably blood. He closed the notebook and set it down on the desk. He noticed the corner of something sticking out of the pages at back of the notebook.

He took it out and saw a photo of Iblis. The count had been fitted out in the weapons suit that was being tested, though he was strapped down to a table in one of the labs. This guy reminded Maxwell of a dangerous vampire, the kind that were featured in the horror movies that the film industry had been making in the years prior to the Cylon attacks. Iblis had deep-set eyes that were like two patches of dried blood. His pale skin was stretched over an overly-muscled build that was more than likely the result of the gene therapy that he had been put through.

"Well sir what is our next course of action?" Brooks asked as he shifted in the chair he was sitting in.

Maxwell suddenly remembered the flash of metal he saw on the monitor in the security room. That must have been a part of Iblis that was caught on camera.

"We're going to head back to the security room and see if we can use the cameras to find where Iblis is at and guess where he is heading to. Another thing we need to do is meet up with Tolan and Krulak so that we're not at a disadvantage when we encounter Iblis." Maxwell clenched and unclenched his fists as the thought of fighting the man.

"If I may ask General, are you actually going to go looking for a fight with him?" Ravashol asked.

"You're damn right I'm going to go looking for a fight. That son of a bitch killed more than a few of my Marines and I'm going to make him pay for that." Maxwell said while shooting a glance at Ravashol that told the doctor any further arguing was useless.

Once they were in the security room they saw Iblis on one of the monitors. They put together whatever information they could gather and concluded that he was heading towards the hangar where the rest of his forces were gathered.

"Alright, we need to get to the hangar and warn them about Iblis. There's no telling what he may do next." Maxwell then ushered the men out towards the elevator. He tried to use the intercom but it didn't work for some reason. Not that it mattered because Iblis would hear it as well and know what their next move would be.

They got in the elevator and it began its slow descent.

In the elevator Maxwell was impatiently tapping his right foot on the floor, 'Why is this damn elevator so slow?' he thought to himself.

**Balius:**

Magnus Ah-Mun was enjoying his evening meal with Natalie Kiser. The young woman was hired on as his personal masseuse, but he found that she was a very engaging conversationalist. With the recent events involving the Colonial Fleet, she had been very opinionated about their new 'allies'.

"They tried to hunt you down Magnus and they nearly succeeded at it. Now here you are making deals with a man who just a few months ago would have had your head served to him on a platter. Are you sure you can trust these people?" Natalie said as she took a bite of a piece of crusty bread.

"Considering the events since the Cylons came to power I don't think we have much of a choice in the matter. I feel that they are honorable and have the best interests of all at heart." Magnus said in between sips of wine.

"You're an optimist Magnus; I'm just way more practical. My view of things is that the Colonial Fleet gets close to you and then when you least expect it the stick the knife in your back!"

"My dearest Natalie, times have changed greatly over the past seven months. Our relationship with the Colonial Fleet has transformed from parasitic to symbiotic. They need us and our unique skills and the same goes for us towards them. No matter how we try to look at it, our fates are intertwined now and it would be foolish to try to undo that."

She smiled at him, "You have a way with words Magnus, and I just hope the future can back them up."

"We have a shared interest in survival. That will bond us to them long after the Ostarsis rescue. I'm sure I can even survive those long-winded diatribes from David Rush if it means I can live to see another day."

"So tell me what was it like meeting him?"

Magnus thought for a few seconds, "I can honestly say that he met and even surpassed the expectations I had for him going into the meeting."

"Did you really have to send the message to Ostarsis about the Colonial Fleet? We don't even know if they're going to return from their supply runs. Doesn't it seem as though we're giving them a false sense of hope?"

"Well it's important that we give them some kind of hope. They've been fighting a battle for the longest time that is doomed to failure if we don't do something. Even if it's a false sense of hope, at least we're giving them hope instead of taking it away from them."

**Leonis:**

John Kronus knew he probably shouldn't be here in the city of Kronhaven but it was something he felt he needed to do. He was standing outside the door to his ancestral home, Kasai. He had landed the raptor in the courtyard of the deserted castle. Surprisingly enough, Kasai had avoided damage from the nuclear blast that had flattened large areas of Kronhaven.

His goal was to find his family's ancestral sword and other relics from the days when the Kronus clan was Leonisian royalty. He had given up hope of returning here to rescue the heirlooms but now was perhaps his only chance to make it happen. Once it was over he would return to the _Svalin_ and continue the supply search.

Kronus wondered what he would find inside of Kasai, he even thought of the possibility that survivors had taken refuge there. If there were some then his mission would have some sort of official standing.


	6. Chapter 6: Twist of Fate

**One Hour Later:**

**Ochoa**

_**Achilles:**_

Electrician's Mate 2nd Class Donald Walters and Electrician's Mate 1st Class Christy Romano were hard at work gathering the equipment they would need for the repair job they had been assigned. The seemingly desperate job of getting the FTL drive back online was based on the idea of Chief Engineer Earl Kocevar. The _Achilles_ had taken a missile on the lower starboard side of the main hull. The impact from the explosion had damaged the electrical relays leading from the power plant to the FTL drive. Without the FTL drive the_Achilles _was a sitting duck and wouldn't be able to escape the Cylons.

Chief Kocevar had sent Walters and Romano to the Relay Access Room located aft of Main Engineering. Using the ships plans, the Chief had found a section where the FTL power relays ran parallel to the main power relays. They were to try and do an electrical bypass that would connect the part of the FTL relay that ran to the drive to the main power relay thereby bypassing the damaged section and getting the FTL drive back. The problem was that they were playing a game of 'Beat the Clock' against the Cylons.

"You have that soldering iron ready to go Walters?" Romano asked as she used her screwdriver to loosen the bolts to the access hatch. The_Achilles_ still looked every bit of the relic that the old battlestar was. The refit given after the discovery was austere and essentially only served to make the battlestar useful until it could be given a much more extensive overhaul.

"I've got it heating up Romano; I'm making sure we have all the pieces we need to get the job done." Walters was trying to make a visual confirmation of the equipment he had brought with him. However another missile hit and ruined his train of thought.

_**Atlantia:**_

"This is Actual." Tyrone Carter said as he picked up the phone and held it to his ear.

"This is Admiral Jonasson; the _Achilles_ has lost FTL capability. I have my engineers working on a solution but we're going to need some time and especially some breathing room. I know you only wanted to do a quick engagement, what should we do?" From the way Jonasson was talking, it seemed there was something the Rear Admiral wanted to ask but couldn't quite bring himself to.

"I think the rest of us can provide you with some cover. I'll give you fifteen minutes and you should be ready to jump by then. If not then…well James just understand that I'm going to have to make a hard choice." Carter knew what the hard choice was; he would have to sacrifice the _Achilles_ and the souls on it to save the rest of his battle group.

"Understood Tyrone, just get between us and the Cylons. My people can get the job done." With that said, Jonasson broke the connection.

"Ms. Dalton, I want you to put us between the _Achilles_ and the basestars. Also I want all vipers to focus on keeping incoming missiles from striking the _Achilles_." Carter waited for her to start sending the orders and then turned to Lt. Vega, "Mr. Vega I want you to send word to _Athena_ and _Ares_. We are going to put ourselves between the Achilles and the Cylons. We're going to use the next fifteen to twenty minutes to provide them cover to get their FTL back online."

Carter watched the DRADIS as _Atlantia_,_Ares_, and _Athena_ moved into position in front of the Achilles. For the immediate future they were playing a game of high-stakes Pyramid with the Cylons.

_**Achilles:**_

"Chief Kocevar, I've just spoken with Admiral Carter and your people have fifteen minutes to get that relay fixed and have the FTL drive ready to go. The other battlestars have taken the Goal Keeper position and will try to ward off the Cylons so we should be safe for the next few minutes." Jonasson didn't tell him what would happen if his people failed, there was no reason to be that brutally honest.

"They've reached the location now it's just a matter of how fast they can make it happen." Kocevar looked up at the status screen for the FTL drive; it flashed a bright red 'OFFLINE'.

_**Atlantia:**_

"_Atlantia_ we're getting swamped with raiders, we're not quite sure how long we can hold out against them." The voice belonged to Major Celina "Vixen" Cruz the _Atlantia's_CAG.

"Major Cruz, I want your air group to hold out for the next fifteen minutes. We need to give Admiral Jonasson a fighting chance to get his ship's FTL drive operational. Use whatever tricks are up your sleeve, hell use all of them if you have to."

"Understood sir! We won't let you or the _Achilles_ down."

After ten minutes of fighting the message came from _Achilles_ that the FTL drive had been fixed and they were ready to jump.

"Very good, send word to all vipers to land immediately and begin jump preparations."

He had just finished giving his orders when another missile slammed into the _Atlantia_.

This one hit not far from where the CIC was located. There was a deafening roar as the sliding glass doors into CIC shattered. One of the auxiliary communications consoles exploded, sending shards of metal flying across the room. Carter ducked and managed to avoid getting hit. He saw four people lying on the floor wounded.

Another person he recognized on the floor was Colonel Gilbert. He ran over to her and got down on his knees to examine her. She had a large piece of shrapnel sticking out of the right side of her chest along with several other smaller pieces. For the time being she was alive, though to Carter it seemed as though it was barely.

"Hurts…Admiral…" She was obviously in a great deal of pain; her eyes were beginning to tear up.

"I know Dana, I'm going to get a medical team up here and they'll take care of you." It was too late and he knew it. The sense of loss was starting to run through his mind but he fought to keep it at bay. Right now he had to be a leader first and mourn the loss of his friend later.

She grabbed his right hand and squeezed it hard as another bolt of pain shot through her. Carter couldn't help but see the streak of blood that was beginning to come out of the left corner of her mouth.

"Hold on Dana, you're going to be…" Carter couldn't finish the sentence as Colonel Dana Gilbert made a gurgling noise and passed away.

With his left hand, Carter closed her eyes and freed his right hand from her grip.

"Admiral all vipers have landed and the battle group is prepared to jump on your order." Lt. Dalton said as she tried to keep her eyes averted from where Colonel Gilbert lay.

"Very well then, let's go back to the Pallas Nebula and regroup." Carter's voice was calm, though he was dealing with an overwhelming sense of grief and anger.

He took one last look at the DRADIS where the basestars were moving closer to his battle group.

'Don't worry Alonzo, this isn't over by any means, I'll make you pay for this.' Carter thought to himself as Battlestar Group 67, the 'A-Team' as he liked to call it, jumped away from Ochoa.

**Cylon Basestar:**

"It looks like the battestars are withdrawing, you've won a victory today Hector." William Arnold said as he offered Hector Alonzo a congratulatory handshake.

"I knew that fool Carter wouldn't be able to match up against me. That's what happens when you go up against someone who got their position by riding the coattails of a friend." Alonzo said arrogantly.

"I couldn't agree more with you, you have no idea how great you looked standing toe to toe with that barbarian." Sasha Evans whispered into Hector's ear.

"What do you say we pursue them and finish them off once and for all?" Arnold asked.

"We've won a victory today, I'd rather let him tell Tolan how he was defeated by me and let the two of them cower in fear of our next strike."

**Alpha Station One:**

Tolan and his group had made it to the corridor leading to the hangar bay without any further incident; it seemed they were in the clear.

"Stop here, I'm going to peak around the corner and see how our people are doing." Tolan said as he held up a fist, a signal for everyone behind him to stop and stay still.

He glanced around the corner and the first thing he noticed was the large number of dead bodies, it seemed Iblis' monsters had attacked the hangar bay. He saw a flash and his mind realized that he was being fired at. He pulled his head back as a bullet flew into the wall behind where his head had been.

"Frak me, they're firing at us!" Tolan said to Mitchell Cain, who was standing behind him.

"What in the name of the Gods would make them do that?" Cain asked.

"They've encountered more of our friends from below decks; they're probably expecting more of the same." Tolan said.

"Communications are still down Admiral, I doubt I can get a message through to them." Devi Singh said as she tried to open a channel to Krulak's small force.

Tolan moved to the edge of the wall, making sure that he wasn't exposed to any possible friendly fire.

"Hey Krulak, this is Admiral Tolan. I've got my squad and a group of survivors. We're going to step into the corridor now. Whatever you do just make sure nobody fires at us!"

A moment of silence then he heard Krulak speak, "Affirmative Admiral, we've lowered our weapons. It's safe for all of you to come this way."

"Magic, I want you to start transporting these people over to the _Ramol_, I then want them transported to the _Solace_ immediately so they can be tended to. We'll wait here until General Maxwell and his Marines return." Tolan returned Magic's salute then set upon planning with Cain and Krulak for the immediate future.

**Twenty Minutes Later:**

To the shock of everyone in the hangar bay only Maxwell, Brooks, and Ravashol returned from the group of twenty-two that left to explore the upper levels of Alpha Station One.

"Alright Otus, I think you should tell me everything that happened. Where are the rest of your Marines?" Tolan said.

"Well let me begin by telling you the story of Count Iblis…" Maxwell began his story, and when he was through everyone was as shocked as he had been when he read Dr. Buchanan's journal.

"In light of that information I believe we need to get whatever vital data is in the computers here. When we finish that we should initiate any self-destruct sequence and get out of here ASAP." Tolan then turned to Cain, "Mr. Cain can you access the computer systems and see what you can get from the database?"

"That's a great idea and all, but what makes you think that this station has a self-destruct sequence?" Maxwell asked, wondering what gave Tolan that idea.

"Common sense for the most part, there were some dark and secretive things going on at this station. No way could the Colonial government allow them to see the light of day if they got out. "

"Works for me, that way we can destroy Iblis and get back to the matter of the Ostarsis rescue." Maxwell said as he observed Mitchell Cain at a computer console with his hacking tools.

"I've almost gotten all of the files downloaded into my storage device. The self-destruct sequences haven't shown up yet, but give me some more time to search and I should be able to find it." Cain's face showed that he was very deep in concentration.

"You aren't going to be so lucky. I still have control of the station and I will not allow you to leave." The voice was deep and had the sound of a man risen in academia.

"I beg to differ with you on that, we'll be off of this station whether you like it or not." Tolan saw the speaker that Iblis' voice was coming out of.

"Admiral Tolan, I trust your welcome here was warmly received."

"It went as well as can be expected under the circumstances, no thanks to you of course."

"You know who I am?" Iblis asked haughtily.

"Yes. I _finally_ know." Tolan said, remembering everything Maxwell had told him minutes earlier.

"Iblis I intend to do something about you murdering my Marines!" Maxwell roared as the anger from earlier started rising to even higher levels.

"Do you?" Iblis asked quizzically.

"I am a man of my word Iblis, if I say I'll do something you can be damn sure it'll happen."

"You old fool. No one has dominion over me!" Iblis said, matching the tone in Maxwell's voice.

"I strongly disagree with you on that one!" Maxwell said spitefully.

"You will never leave this station alive, I will see to it."

"What makes you say that Iblis?" Tolan asked.

"I have told you all you are capable of comprehending. This conversation is over." As soon as Iblis said that the speaker went dead.

"The two of you bought me enough time to get the self-destruct sequences. I can set a silent countdown so that Iblis won't know what we're up to. I figure we can make about five or six trips then Iblis will be trapped." Cain said as he put away his computer equipment.

"Banks should be able to load up the first group when he returns in about ten minutes. Let's set the countdown for an hour and a half. Maxwell and I will be in the last group out. That will get us and the rest of the base personnel off in time." Tolan said.

Cain hit a few buttons on the computer and announced, "It's started Admiral, let's see what happens."

**One Hour Later:**

The raptor had returned from its next-to-last transport. Now all that left was to take Tolan, Maxwell, Cain, and Ravashol off to the_Syrinx_.

The raptor doors opened and Ravashol boarded first, followed by Cain.

"You first General, I have a bad feeling about all this." Tolan said, wondering why his instincts were making him uneasy.

Maxwell began to move towards the raptor when a shot rang out from the corridor and barely missed his head.

"You aren't going anywhere General Maxwell. You didn't think I would let you go so easily." Out of the darkness stepped Count Iblis, in his steel battle suit. His bald head was covered by a helmet and over his face was a blue-lit glass that was probably a Heads up Display.

"Banks close that door and get the hell out of here!" Tolan commanded, and Magic did just as he was ordered.

Iblis opened a keypad on his left arm and pressed a series of buttons. The hangar doors began to close. Magic must have gunned the engine, because the raptor sped out with mere inches to spare before the doors finished closing.

"Now there's no escape, the two you are not going to leave this station gentlemen. There's no way for you to defeat me." He held up his right arm and a long blade extended from an opening on the upper forearm of the suit.

"It's never easy is it Scott?" Maxwell quipped.

"Not in the years I've been in the service Otus." Tolan responded, reaching into the ammo pocket of his combat uniform to grab a high-explosive round for his service pistol.

Iblis came charging at them with his right arm raised to swing at them. Tolan jumped to the right and Maxwell jumped to the left. Iblis went crashing into some wooden crates, smashing them and sending the contents flying in every direction.

Iblis stood up and came charging towards Maxwell, who had landed into a stack of heavy plastic barrels and hadn't gotten up yet. Tolan had his service pistol out and aimed at Iblis' right arm. When he had a clear enough of a shot, he fired the high-explosive round and it hit the sword and shattered it into pieces.

Iblis turned to face him, "Admiral you have earned yourself a slow and painful death by doing that."

"Bring it on you walking human toaster." Tolan spat at him, taunting Iblis as though he were a bull.

He charged, and Tolan got out of the way at the last possible moment. By the time Iblis had turned around Tolan had ran to where Maxwell was at.

They ran and hid while Iblis sprayed the hangar with a volley of bullets from the gun mounted in the left arm of his suit.

"Damn it, the bastard is a walking one man army!" Maxwell said as he and Tolan loaded their guns with more high-explosive rounds.

"Remember Otus, we can only use about three or four of these before our guns overheat. We have to make them last." Tolan said, and Maxwell nodded his agreement.

They ran in different directions to try to make Iblis pick a target. They each fired one round, each hit the armored suit but didn't do any damage to Iblis.

Iblis decided to focus his attention on Maxwell, and tried to get a clear shot at the general. It gave Tolan the chance to hit the left arm of the suit with a high-explosive round. There was a shower of flame and sparks as he hit the gun and destroyed it.

Instead of turning his attention to Tolan, Iblis then picked up an iron pipe and threw it at General Maxwell\. The pipe swung around in a fast circular motion and hit Maxwell's leg and tripped him up. He took a hard face-first fall to the metal floor of the hangar. Iblis ran over to where Maxwell lay and produced a long sharp piece of metal. He picked him up the throat and hoisted him high up into the air. He then took the piece of metal and drove it into Maxwell's gut. The general grunted with pain and Iblis threw him with all his might down onto the ground.

"Your turn Admiral, are you ready to play?" Iblis turned around and scanned the room for Tolan. Iblis taunted him, wanting more than anything to draw out his prey and have the admiral make the fatal mistake. More importantly, Tolan giving away his location gave him a target he could hit.

Tolan knew the situation was not in his favor, he was going to have step out of his hiding spot and face the monster known as Iblis. He had no idea if Maxwell was still alive, he prayed he was. 'If I'm going to die here, then by the Gods I'm going to go out fighting. This bastard is going to have to earn this kill!' Tolan thought to himself as he took a slow steadying breath and readied himself to step out in the open and face Iblis.

"Why ask questions you already know the answer to, are you really that dense?" Tolan said as he stepped out from behind his hiding place behind a shipment container.

"Despite your sarcasm and lack of quality upbringing, I shall do the honorable thing and let you deal the first blow."

"Are you serious? You realize that you are giving a perfect chance to kill you. Are you that certain that you can defeat me?" Tolan asked incredulously.

"Absolutely, you can't hurt me Admiral Tolan much less kill me."

"Alright then, allow me to strike the first blow." When he finished his sentence, Scott Tolan brought his sidearm up and fired the last high-explosive round directly at Iblis' faceplate. There was a shattering of glass as the faceplate exploded, showering the man's face with shards.

Iblis howled in pain and lunged at Tolan like an angry wounded animal. He swung at where he thought Tolan was but missed.

Tolan's fist connected squarely with Iblis' jaw, sending the man reeling backwards. The next move he made ended up being a mistake. He went with his right thumb to try to blind Iblis more so. Instead he found an iron fist being slammed into his rib cage.

Tolan fell back with a sharp pain on the right side of his rib cage. Iblis then picked him up and threw him hard into the shipment container. Tolan felt a white-hot pain shoot from his left collarbone.

He stood up and took a boxer's stance, ready to duke it out with Iblis and try to get an outcome that ended with him still alive and off this station.

Iblis smirked at him, and began to walk towards him when suddenly his eyes went wide with terror. He stumbled a bit and then fell to the floor in a heap. Tolan looked and saw General Maxwell standing behind him, holding a hand over the wound in his abdomen.

They were in silence for a moment before Maxwell said, "Leave it up to us Marines to bail out you Colonial Fleet people."

"What did you do to kill him?" Tolan asked with a sense of astonishment.

"The suit was designed with a 'kill switch' on the back on it that would end his life immediately if it was used. I read about it in a journal on the station."

"Glad you're not one those Marines that hates to read, otherwise we'd still be fighting him!"

The two men walked to the hangar door controls and finally got them to open. Five minutes later they were off the station and back on the_Syrinx_. Maxwell was taken down to the infirmary where the doctors examined his wound. Dr. Charles W. Lewis informed Tolan that Maxwell's injury would need time to heal but it wasn't fatal. Scott informed the doctor that Iblis probably did it on purpose, it was doubtful that monster would have finished Maxwell off quickly. With the reassurance that the general would be fine, Tolan joined the Marines gathered on the Observation Deck. From there they watched as Alpha Station One exploded in a huge sheet of flame and flying debris.

Now that they had survived that nightmare of an ordeal, it was time to head back to the Eastern Alliance base. Scott Tolan couldn't wait to be back so that he could see his wife and kids. He also smiled at the thought on being back on the _Victorious_.

**Six Hours Later:**

_**Helios**_

The salvage team had finally completed removing all the useful equipment from Kios Medical Center. The next day would involve scouring the remains of the Academy and Fleet Headquarters for anything that would be of use.

Commander Naomi Sakura was in her quarters; she had just finished taking a long hot shower and was preparing to get some rest. The discovery of the Academy cadets was a pleasant surprise, especially finding out that Admiral Tolan's cousin was still alive. In all they discovered fifty-two cadets and ten instructors. For their first day they had done quite well.

On the trip back to _Helios_ Sakura had asked Lacey Tolan how she managed to escape the destruction of the Academy. Lacey explained that even though she was a sophomore she was living in the freshman dorm. She was in charge of helping the residents on her wing adjust to campus life. There were two more weeks to go until the annual Tanais River Run or as some people referred to it as: 'River Run'. Every year the students would run along the banks of the Tanais River. Beginning on the left side of the Priene Bridge, the students would complete five laps and ultimately end back up on the left side of the bridge.

She had taken part in the River Run three of four years at the Academy. She had to miss it her junior year due to an accident that broken several bones in her right foot. It was when she was medically cleared to begin an exercise regimen; it was one that she had kept up to the present.

Lacey had taken her group up into the Kios Mountains for high-altitude training so that they would be better able to make the River Run. Coming along with them was Lieutenant Rex Lowe, his purpose was to supervise her and make sure that the exercise wasn't an excuse to get away from the Academy and party. When the Cylons attacked, Lacey and Lowe went to down to the Academy and rescued nine instructors who hadn't been too seriously injured. When it seemed certain the Cylons had left the area they all went down to the Medical Center to hide out, treat the injured, and have ready access to medical supplies in case they were needed.

Sakura was now in her bed looking at the pictures she kept on her night stand. There were pictures of her parents and her two younger sisters. The other was a picture of her husband Ken and their five year old son Chandler. She thought about them a lot, and hoped that maybe they were in the civilian fleet with the _Galactica_. It might be considered a fool's hope, but to her it was hope nonetheless.

Chris Alonzo was off-duty, and found that he couldn't sleep. The _Helios_ buzzed with reports of the survivors that had been discovered below on Picon. Some of them were receiving medical attention; others were assisting Chief Alexios with unloading the equipment salvaged from Kios Medical. Chris had heard that there was a group at the Observation Deck, and that as where he was heading. Not that he had a problem with helping the deck gang, but he wanted to get in some social interaction before his next shift began.

There was a group of about twenty cadets milling about the Observation Deck, but Alonzo noticed one of them standing alone at the window.

Chris walked up to her, "Are you enjoying the view?"

The blonde woman looked to be about his age and he guessed she was probably a freshman cadet.

She looked up at him with a set of blue eyes that he couldn't help but find mesmerizing, "I've spent the past seven months on Picon wondering if I was going to get off that planet. The sight of space is such a welcome change."

"Lt. Chris Alonzo, I'm one of the viper pilots here on _Helios_." He held out a hand for her to shake.

She gave him her hand and they had a quick handshake, "My name is Lacey, formerly of the sophomore class at the Academy." She gave him a quizzical look, "You wouldn't happen to be related to the Alonzo family from Caprica would you?"

He nodded, "My father is Hector Alonzo, the Mayor of Caprica City. He was getting a lot of buzz about a possible Presidential run once Adar's term ended."

"Yeah, I've heard about your father and you as well. You've had some interesting exploits according to the gossip columns."

Chris blushed, "I had quite the time with the Caprica City night life. I admit you didn't strike me as the type of person that would read those cheap gossip articles."

Lacey laughed, "When you're cramming for your studies and trying to load up on Viper information you tend to want something that's mindlessly entertaining."

Chris smiled at her, "A viper pilot, and any particular reason you wanted to go into flying?"

"My cousin was a viper pilot early in his Fleet career. My parents died when I was young and I went to live with my Aunt Sylvia on Canceron. The best way I can tell the story is that when my cousin graduated from the Academy a year after that I was in awe of the viper squadron's formation that flew over the graduates on the parade grounds. Since then I'd always wanted to follow in his footsteps and become a viper pilot."

"I don't know what you know about the Fleet makeup, but we have two escort battlestars that we use for training purposes. Do you think you're going to end up on one of those or on one of the battlestars?"

"Knowing my cousin I'm going to end up on one of the escorts until I'm certified as a viper pilot."

"So you're saying your cousin is alive and is on one of the battlestars?"

Lacey nodded, "He's one of the officers on the _Victorious_. I doubt there's any way to convince him to let me get my training there."

"Well you let me know who he is and when I see him I'm going to walk right up to him and let him know that you're not going to be put on some little escort battlestar."

"It's not that easy Chris, my cousin is…" She was cut off when Chris began to talk again.

"Obviously very over-protective and is going to have to be made aware of the fact that you belong on the _Heli_…_Victorious_ so you can get your training in a better environment."

"That's sweet Chris, but you have to understand…" Once more Chris spoke.

"I understand what's got to be done and for you I will gladly do it. Just give me a name and when we get back to the Eastern Alliance base I'll settle the matter."

"Chris it's suicidal to go and do this, you don't understand my cousin…"

"Oh of course I do! He's probably got some issues that he hasn't quite worked through and it's causing him to be way too overprotective of you. I'll have to sit him down and put him in his place."

"You do that then the only place you'll be put in is the ship's mortuary. He's a big tough guy, and he won't take kindly to you telling him what to do. He told me one time that outside of the Colonial Fleet there are only two people with the power to make him do something, his wife and his mom."

"More of those issues I think he has, this tough guy image of his is all one big show to make it seem that he knows best. Enough of this Lacey, give me his name so I keep you from escort battlestar duty."

"Alright then Chris, I'll give you his name. My cousin, my first cousin if I might add, is Admiral Scott Tolan." Lacey saw Chris' face go pale as it dawned on him who she was.

"I should have told you my last name was Tolan, which might have made this a little less awkward." Lacey held her right hand to her mouth, feeling embarrassed at not having told Chris she was a Tolan.

"Yeah…just a little bit, I can't believe I just threatened to go and tough-talk Admiral Tolan. That would have gone over well, kind of like the time my dad tried to relieve him of command of the_Victorious_."

Lacey gave him a reassuring pat on his left shoulder, "It was funny Chris, but at the same time it was kind of sweet. Let's find a place to sit and talk, I don't want you to walk out of here as pale as you're looking right now. Some people might think you forgot how to breathe."

"What do you want to talk about?" Chris asked as they found a chair in the corner and sat down.

Lacey sat down and thought for a moment, "We can talk about whatever comes to mind. I'm sure I can tell you some stories about my life and you can tell me about yours. I'll even tell you some stories about Scott that you probably didn't know about."

**Leonis:**

The dark gray stone walls made up the entrance hallway of Kasai. Lining the walls were various pictures and tapestries. Kronus had always been in awe of how old and majestic this place was. He walked the light red carpet towards the great hall.

Entering the great hall was a sudden change from the hallway. Instead of gray stone there was white limestone. The stained glass windows would cast beautiful colors on the walls and made the room quite picturesque. The ancient Kronus throne was sitting upright, and near it was the artificial waterfall that one of his ancestors had built after a trip to the Kios Mountains.

He found the display case in the southeast alcove of the great hall. In it were the Kronus family sword and the shield with the coat-of-arms on it. He opened the case and began to reach for the sword and shield. He heard a noise behind him and froze. He swore he heard footsteps but couldn't be sure of it. He turned and found himself face to face with his daughter-in-law Elena. She had a pistol drawn and pointed at him.

"Elena, you're alive!" Kronus exclaimed. He hadn't expected to see anyone at the castle.

She slowly lowered the gun, "I wonder if I should just shoot you anyway."

"I know I didn't make your marriage to my son easy, but can't we just put that behind us?"

She glared at him, "You opposed my marriage to Cecil because in your eyes I was a lowly Sagittaron even though I don't follow the practices of my society. When he married me anyway you cut him off from the family fortune forcing us to have to struggle until we could land on our feet."

"You have every reason to be mad at me, but right now it's more important that we survive and not let the Cylons kill us. Is Cecil here with you now?"

Her glare softened, "Yes he is. When the attack happened he was at his office with the Colonial Bureau of Investigation. He made his way to our house in Mycenae and brought us here. He read the reports of nuclear weapons being used and he remembered the fallout shelter in the basement of this monstrosity you call a castle."

"Why isn't he out here, is he alright?"

He noticed a tear starting to come to her right eye, and he feared the worst.

She wiped her eye and said, "He's been using the anti-radiation meds that are here, but the problem is he's come down with pneumonia. I don't know how much longer he can hold out. There aren't any antibiotics or other medication I can give him."

"Get him and meet me in the courtyard, I'll have my raptor waiting to take the two of you back to the _Svalin_. I promise you Elena, things will be different now. I promise you that." He reached out pulled her to him for a hug, "I am so sorry about how I treated you, there is no way that I can justify it."

She hugged him and he saw that she was letting her tears flow freely. "We'll be out there as soon as we can. There's one more thing you need to know."

He asked, "What would that be?"

"You have a grandson, his name is Arthur and he's two years old."

Kronus smiled, "I look forward to meeting him. Go get them and let's get out of here!"

He grabbed the sword and shield, and then made his way to the raptor. He had to make sure he saved his son's life.

**Ostarsis:**

Bridget Woods was huddled in the makeshift communications room with Darius James, Lamont Evans, and Angela Rigel. Seated at a small computer was Sharon Bonilla, a computer analyst for the Forbes Bank Corporation. The five-foot young woman with the petite body knew more about decryption and security than most of the people in the resistance cell. The Tauron native had proven herself to be a valuable asset.

"Commander Woods, I've deciphered the names of the Colonial Fleet units the Eastern Alliance discovered." Bonilla said, going over the names of the ships on her computer.

"Very good Miss Bonilla, please give me the names." Woods said as she paced back and forth in the room.

"We have Warstar Group One, which consists of the warstars _Aegis_,_Svalin_, and _Defender_. The commander of the group is Admiral John Kronus. The next one is Battlestar Group 67. It is composed of the battlestars _Atlantia_,_Athena_,_Ares_, and _Achilles_. It is commanded by Admiral Tyrone Carter." Bonilla was going to keep talking, but Woods cut her off.

"That's got to be a mistake, Tyrone Carter is a Commander. He's in command of the battlestar _Sphinx_." Woods stated, wondering what was going on.

"Well Commander Woods, I think this will explain everything…" Bonilla said.

"What would that be Miss Bonilla?" James asked.

"The last group is Battlestar Group 66. It consists of the battlestars…" Bonilla stared to list the names but Woods finished it for her.

"_Sphinx_,_Helios_, and _Victorious_ are the primary ships that make up the battlestar group. That would mean that the commander of the battle group is Admiral Scott Tolan." Woods said excitedly, her friend and mentor was still alive and was going to be coming to her rescue.

With the exception of the two members of her crew from the _Kios_, James and Bonilla looked at her confused.

"I was Admiral Tolan's XO on the _Victorious_ for two years, and XO under him on _Vanguard _before that. That's why I knew the battlestars in the group." Woods said, as everyone in the room nodded their understanding of what she was saying.

For Commander Bridget Woods it was a gift from the Gods, if there was anyone with the strength, courage, and even she admitted it…the balls to pull off a daring rescue mission it would be Scott Tolan. How much longer until the mission began was up in the air. However, knowing that it was on the horizon gave her something she knew she hadn't had in a long while and that was a sense of hope.


	7. Chapter 7: Troubled Skies

**One Hour Later:**

**Solace:**

"Admiral Tolan, going by the X-Rays we took it appears that you sustained a broken rib and a micro fracture of the left clavicle. It's going to take about a month or so for both of them to properly heal. I can take you off duty if you need me…" Dr. Latasha Dennis didn't get to finish her statement.

"I appreciate your concern doctor, but there's no way I'm going to be taken off duty. Isn't there any way you can give me some meds to make the pain more manageable?" Scott Tolan asked, due to the fact that the idea of having the _Victorious _taken away from him was very disturbing.

Dr. Dennis tapped a finger on her right cheek as she thought it over, "I can give you medication for the pain, but I'm afraid it's going to slow your reaction time. Is that a risk you're willing to take?"

Tolan nodded, "We haven't even begun the in-depth planning of the rescue operation, and I have no problem with leaving the _Victorious_ here for another month while the other battlestars and Kronus' warstar group go on their search."

Dr. Dennis hesitated for a moment and then sighed, "Alright Admiral, I'll give you the medicine but if you are to go into battle for some reason then your XO will have to take over for you."

"Not a problem at all Doc, you can count on me to follow your orders!" Tolan said even though he was well-aware of the fact that he had no intentions of actually following through on the orders.

"Uh-huh, I'm sure you will admiral…that's why I'm forwarding a copy of this to President Rush and to Colonel Graystone."

"Dr. Dennis you sure know how to burst a man's bubble did you know that?" Tolan grudgingly said after a few moments of silence.

"I was married once; I've had plenty of experience in that department."

"I believe you…" Tolan said before he decided to change the subject. "Have you heard anything about General Maxwell?"

"He's in pain, and we're worried about his wound becoming infected. Iblis didn't puncture any vital organs and that in itself is a miracle. He'll be moving around in about a week but I'm afraid he's out of action for the next few months."

"I'll have to go check on him when I get the chance; if that's all Doc I'd like to go visit my family."

Dr. Dennis went to the desk on the right side of the room and pulled out a small notepad. She wrote something on it, pulled the paper off, and handed it to Tolan. "Here is a prescription for some pain meds. The pharmacy on the Solace will be able to fill this for you. This should help you to function until those two fractures heal. I want you to check with me once a week so I can check on you and make sure you're not developing an addiction to them."

Tolan gave her a salute and winked at her, "You're the boss, and I'll follow your orders to the letter."

When he left the examining room he navigated the maze of corridors and climbed the necessary ladders until he reached the ward Emily was kept on. He saw the door was open and Andie was sleeping on a sofa bed along with the triplets.

"Gods, what time is it?" Tolan asked himself quietly, then looked at his watch and saw that it was the early-morning hours.

He thought about it and decided to let them sleep. He walked over to Emily's hospital bed and looked at his wife. She was the love of his life, his 'Beautiful and Beloved' as he called her on occasion. Killing Ken Bryson and William Arnold had helped him to feel better, but he still had a sense of helplessness that he couldn't stop. He was Admiral Scott Tolan, commander of Battlestar Group 66 and a man who held power over some of the most powerful weaponry in the Colonial Fleet. Yet he couldn't do anything to fix what had been done to his wife.

He reached and grabbed her left hand, the one with his grandmother's expensive antique wedding set. Charlene Tolan had given it to him shortly before she passed away when he was twenty-four. She told him to hold onto it so that when he met the woman he was going to marry he could give her something special.

He felt a pain coming from his broken rib, but he shrugged it off. Considering what had happened to Emily, he had no room to complain about much of anything.

"Who are you?" The voice was male, and familiar to Tolan.

"I'm her husband, not that it's any concern of yours." Tolan turned and was face to face with Brother Ladon. The former chaplain for the _Victorious_ had been on the _Solace_ since the discovery of the hospital ship.

"Sorry Admiral, I thought you were still away with the _Syrinx_." Ladon's face turned red with embarrassment.

"It's alright Mark; I haven't been back that long. I saw the doctor to see how badly injured I was." Tolan saw the confusion on Ladon's face, "We encountered…unfriendly company on the station we went to investigate. General Maxwell was stabbed in the stomach. He'll live though, and I ended up with a broken rib and a micro fracture of my clavicle."

"Shhh…you're going to wake the kids!" Andrea Graystone said as she groggily got up off of the bed while being careful not to wake up the triplets.

"My apologies Andie, I saw Admiral Tolan standing over Emily and I didn't recognize him. After that incident with William Arnold we can't be too careful." Ladon said.

"That's fine Mark, thank you for being on the lookout for Emmy." Andie said before turning her attention to Tolan, "Alright Scott, now what is this I hear about you getting yourself injured?"

"Well first we should go out into the hallway and close the door; we don't want to wake the kids up." They followed Tolan's advice and when they were out in the hallway with the door closed Tolan spoke again, "General Maxwell and I encountered the infamous Count Iblis. He was the subject of a cybernetics project on a secret space station that Magnus Ah-Mun's men happened to stumble upon. We were cut off from the rest of the Marines and had to fight him, we got fortunate and managed to defeat him. However the two of us got injured in the process." Tolan said as Andie and Mark looked on in wide-eyed disbelief.

"So just how badly were you hurt?" Andie asked the concern in her voice evident.

"I don't think it's all that serious, but if you think I look bad then you should see the other guy." He smiled at her.

"You encounter a monster on a station, get yourself hurt, and you manage to laugh it off. What am I going to do with you Scott Tolan?" Andie said, partly out exasperation and part out of laughter.

"I'm not sure, but you should make sure it's not something that will make Emily mad." Tolan and his two friends started laughing at that comment.

"I need to go check on General Maxwell; I'll come back when the kids are up." He gave Andie a hug and a kiss on the cheek. He shook Mark Ladon's hand then left to go find the room Maxwell had been assigned to.

When he walked into the room he saw Maxwell was in bed with an IV drip going to his left arm.

"I hope they're giving you some good stuff, you look like they are at least." Tolan said as he walked over to the right side of the bed and shook Maxwell's hand.

"It's not too bad, though I have one complaint about my nurse." Maxwell said as he tried to sit up some in the bed.

"Alright Otus, what could possibly be wrong with your nurse?"

"The problem is that she is way too much like her mother, I think she gets it honest!" Maxwell exclaimed with a laugh.

"Ahhh…" Tolan said knowingly, "I see Brenda managed get herself in here as your nurse. I've already learned you can't win an argument with her. It's too much like trying to talk sense into a Marine."

"You won't hear me say any differently, she's a perfect combination of her mother and me. Just for the record, there were times when she was growing up that the only reason I won an argument with her was because I was her father. Otherwise I wouldn't have had a chance!" Maxwell said. That got a laugh from him and Tolan.

"I wanted to stop by and see how you're doing. The doctor is letting me stay on duty but naturally she put some conditions on it. I also wanted to thank you for saving my ass back there on the station. If you hadn't have found that kill switch I'd have bought it."

"We're even Scott; you saved me back there as well. Thank the Gods you're a good shot with a pistol. Are you sure you didn't go into the wrong recruitment office?"

Tolan smiled at the comment, "Sure Otus, I was too lazy to walk across the street to the Colonial Marine recruitment center and figured while the one for the Colonial Fleet was there on the side of the street I was on I'd just go in there and sign up."

"That's what I figured, I could tell from your work on the station that you weren't some viper jockey."

Tolan raised an eyebrow, "Now what is it that gave that away?"

Maxwell deadpanned his response, "Because you sir actually know how to fight."

Tolan turned to leave the room, "When you get the chance you really should read my background history. That'll more than explain how I know how to fight and fire a weapon. You get some rest Otus, I'll see if I can find a pretty young nurse to take care of you. Hopefully she won't be your daughter, I know you Marines have quite the rep for the number of 'port calls' you make. I'll also see if I can find you a copy of the movie _Advanced Tactical Training_ so you can watch us viper jockeys in action."

Tolan left the room, closing the door behind him. Back in the hospital room Maxwell muttered to himself, "It's a shame, he'd have made one hell of a Marine."

**Atlantia:**

The battle-damaged Battlestar Group 67 had returned to the Alliance base after its battle with Hector Alonzo's basestars. The first course of action was the transfer of all wounded to the hospital ship _Solace_. In his quarters of _Atlantia_, Tyrone Carter was sitting at his desk going over the reports sent in from the other three battlestars.

The _Ares_ had suffered moderate damage and would need at least three to five weeks of repairs to get back up to Colonial Fleet standards. _Athena_ wasn't as severely damaged but would require two weeks minimum of repairs. _Atlantia_ was going to require five weeks due to the last missile hit, the one that killed Colonel Gilbert. The _Achilles_ was the most heavily damaged out of them all. There would be at least fifteen weeks worth of work to be done on the old battlestar. If there was any consolation it was the fact that the time was perfect to give the _Achilles_ the complex overhaul needed to bring it up to par with the newer battlestars such as the _Victorious_.

The dead were being transferred over to the _Athena_ for memorial services. As the least damaged of the battlestars, Carter decided to take the _Athena_ out of the Pallas Nebula so that the bodies of their lost comrades could be given a proper service before being committed to the depths of space.

**Edge of Pallas Nebula: **

**Cessair: **

Colonial frigates _Agrona_, _Cessair_, _Matrona_, and _Lasair_ were patrolling the outer edge of the Pallas Nebula, the side that was closest of the planet Cosmora. With the death of Commander Jane Guiros, Lt. Albert Morton had been promoted to Commander and given the command of the patrol frigates. Unlike the cruisers, warstars, and battlestars; commanders were allowed to have command of a task force of smaller vessels.

Commander Morton had decided to use the _Cessair_ as his flagship; it was his sort of homage of his to the late Commander Guiros. He was on duty in the small CIC when the scout ships _Broadsword_, _Gladius_, _Saber_, _Scimitar_, and _Rapier_ made their appearance. The scout ships were smaller than the frigates. They also had more speed, but lacked the amount of armor and large caliber weapons that his ships had.

"I can't help but wonder Commander…" Lt. Malik Tate said as he looked at the DRADIS screen, "Why do they only allow men to serve on the scout ships. I know they're smaller than we are but we're allowed to have an integrated crew."

"Well Tate I think the problem is that the higher-ups are concerned that there will be a breakdown in the ranks if men and women are put on a ship that small." Morton said, turning his attention to the helm display to see the course they were on.

"In other words they're worried about fraternization, how is that possible?" Tate asked.

Morton thought about it and then he said, "Well Tate as far as I'm concerned, anyone who's crazy enough to want to live in a scout ship is welcome to do so for all I care. I also wouldn't worry too much about illicit sex if women are added to crews since the only place there'd be enough room for anything more than a pat on the ass, unless you're talking about two people who are masters at being flexible, is the CIC and then the watch standers would have to pretend you weren't around."

Malik laughed and then asked, "Interesting way to put that point Commander, but how do you know so much about the scout ships?"

"Because I spent two months on the _Claymore_ before I was transferred to the _Lasair_. I saw an opportunity to transfer off that tin can and I took it. I'm not crazy enough to want to live in one of those!"

Ensign Dante Bradshaw spoke up in the midst of the laughter, "Commander we're receiving a message from Admiral Carter, he wishes to speak to you."

Morton picked up the wireless receiver, "This is Actual."

Carter told him of the Battle of Ochoa and that his frigate squadron was to accompany the battlestar Athena out past the edge of the Pallas Nebula for the memorial service. Each of the four frigates would surround the Athena. One would be in front, one behind, and one on each side. Before the bodies were committed to space, the frigates were to each fire a twenty-one gun salute using their practice cartridges.

He told Carter it would be an honor and a privilege to take part in the memorial service, and he would have his ships ready for when the time came. When the connection was broken, Morton put down the receiver and told Bradshaw to send orders to the other three frigates of what their jobs would be for the memorial service.

**Picon:**

**Helios:**

"Let me get this straight…" Chris Alonzo began, "Admiral Carter's call sign was 'CRATER' and Admiral Tolan's call sign was 'ORION'?"

Lacey Tolan took a sip of water and nodded, "That's correct. The CAG on _Galactica_ gave Scott his name because he thought he fit the description one would have of a heroic hunter. Now Tyrone got his name because when he was assigned to the _Triton_ after graduation he made a mistake the first time he came in for a landing. He came in too hard on the landing and his viper ended up leaving a crater-sized dent in the deck."

"Help me out here Lacey. I can understand you calling Admiral Tolan 'Scott' because he's your cousin. Why do you call Admiral Carter 'Tyrone', have the two of you met before?"

"He's been friends with Scott for a few years, going back to their time on the Mercury. Sometimes when I was visiting him and Emily, Tyrone would be visiting. One of the last times I saw him was when I graduated high school and Scott and Emily threw me a huge graduation party. My cousin told me that he had Tyrone there as protection in case one of the guys there tried to be 'inappropriate'."

Chris laughed, "I feel for any boyfriends of yours! I couldn't imagine having to deal with something like that. Then again I haven't had any girlfriends who have taken me home to their family."

"What's the matter Chris; you never met a girl who wanted to bring you home to meet her family?" Lacey asked with a smile.

"It's not that Lacey…far from it…it's just the fact that the girls I went with weren't interested in me for that kind of relationship." Chris stammered.

"Ahhh I see…" Lacey said before adding, "Well then Chris have you ever thought that you might want to try a different kind of girl? Otherwise you might be saddled with the label of a commitment-phobic."

Chris laughed, "Now nobody has ever saddled me with that to the best of my knowledge."

Lacey playfully rolled her eyes, "Considering the kind of girls you told me you've gone for, I find it hard to believe you haven't been 'saddled' before."

Chris put both of his hands up in defeat, "Alright Cadet Tolan you win this round. Don't you think we should change the subject before I go and put my foot back in my mouth again?"

Chris had a question come to his mind that he wanted to ask her, "What's it like being the granddaughter of the Basileus' leader?"

"You want the truth? Well let me say that most people give me a pass, but it feels like they always wonder about me. I don't know if you know the story, but the Tolen family hates us with a passion…" She saw the look on Chris' face and knew she'd have to elaborate, "As you know my last name is spelled 'T-O-L-A-N', but our original family name has an 'E' instead of the 'A'. My grandfather changed his name back when he became leader of the Basileus."

"That makes more sense; they sound virtually the same to me though."

"Yeah they do, but if someone has our version of the last name then it means they are related to Carl Tolan. Back to my story, there was a sophomore cadet in my class. Her name was Sofia Tolen. When she found out about me, let's just say that things got really tense. We tried to avoid each other because of the history between our families but it couldn't be helped."

"Something tells me she tried to make your life miserable."

Lacey nodded solemnly, "She had her friends keep tabs on me in the hope that I would commit some infraction she could turn me in on. Cadets at the Academy are supposed to hold up to the highest of standards. Any student that breaks the vaunted 'Code of Honor' is dealt with severely. Sofia made it quite clear that in her eyes I didn't meet those standards. She drove the point home when she told me that the Colonial Fleet wasn't the place where mobsters should be allowed."

"How were you able to stand all that?"

She smiled ruefully, "I committed myself to my studies, had virtually no social life, and made sure I followed all the rules to the letter. I essentially had to take a piece of advice Scott gave me before I joined the Academy."

"What kind of advice did he give you?"

"He told me that a Tolan had to be better than anyone else, just to keep from falling under suspicion. I did that my freshman year and hoped that it would get Sofia off my back. Instead it made her more determined to get rid of me."

"I imagine that made what you got of your sophomore year really difficult." Chris said the sympathy obvious on his face.

"Yeah I was pretty miserable those first couple of months. Sofia took a new track though to get to me. She decided that since her personal attacks against me wouldn't work she'd go after the only other Tolan in the Fleet…" Lacey let her voice trail off and she stayed quiet with the hope that Chris could get the hint.

It worked. Chris' eyebrows rose in amazement, "You're telling me that she decided to insult Admiral Tolan?"

"Exactly, she had family that was already in the Fleet. All she had to do was ask around and see what kind of dirt she could get on Scott. Some people believe that he used his marriage to the Graystones to get his promotions. There were also some rumors that he was taking weapons from the shipments that arrived at his battlestars and would sell them on the black market to get extra money. Even worse is that it was said that he sold them to Sagitarron terrorists!" Lacey didn't even try to hide the disgust in her voice.

"Did it matter that you were one of given one of the Resident Assistant positions in the freshman dorm? If your grades were excellent and none could question your character then why go after your cousin?"

"It's like any relationship, or at least any committed relationship, all you have to do is throw in that little seed of doubt and it'll grow if watered enough. How would it look if the granddaughter of a gangster, who also happened to have a cousin in the Admiralty, was placed in such a position of responsibility over some freshman cadets? It was borderline character assassination."

"How did you finally get Sofia to stop?" Chris asked. He figured apart from the Cylon attack, something else might have brought it to an end.

"One day after P.T. we were in the shower and Sofia saw that I was there. She began taunting me and then began telling me all the rumors she heard about Scott. She told me that I was going to be investigated for reports of abusing my freshmen and rumors that I was aiding Scott's illegal activities. I was given a choice, either I resign from the Academy or she would have her family investigate my cousin and ruin him." Lacey's facial features reflected the coldness that had replaced the warm playfulness that had been there earlier in the conversation.

"Go on Lacey, I'm still listening." Chris said after Lacey had been quiet for a minute.

"I finally lost it. I walked up to her, and told her she wouldn't dare. She told me to watch her, and then she called me a 'gangster' and a 'whore'. When she called me that she poked a finger into my chest. That was when I grabbed her hand and twisted her arm behind her back. She was stunned so I swept her leg and took her down to the floor. I grabbed her hair with my free hand and I smacked her face against the tile floor. I then said only one thing to her."

Chris' eyes were wide with astonishment, "What was that?"

"I said to her, 'Back off bitch!', and then I released her. I informed her that she had better not try to squeal on me or else I'd show her just how much of a 'gangster' I was. I went to the locker room, got dressed, and left the building. I later heard that Sofia told everyone she slipped on some tile in the shower and fell to the floor." Lacey finally allowed herself to smile.

"Sorry Lacey…" Chris began at a loss for words, "You just don't strike me as the type to get violent like that. You just don't strike me as that…"

"Tough? A little secret for you Chris, I don't break very easily."

"I believe that, it's just hard to imagine it."

Lacey grinned at him, "Well over the next couple of days if you have some free time we can get to the gym and spar some. You'll get to see just how tough I am." It was then that she winked at him.

"One last question for you, exactly where did your grandfather get the name 'Basileus' from?"

"In the ancient language of Canceron 'Basileus' was the word for 'King', I guess he thought it was appropriate."

Chris looked at the clock, "I hate to do this Lacey but I need to get some rack time before my shift begins. I'll be back to talk more to you I promise!"

"Alright, but don't keep me waiting too long. I've been smiled at and talked to by a few of the guys here already." She watched as Chris smiled again, then got up and left the Observation Deck. When he was gone she got up and went back to the large window at the front of the room.

Chris was heading to his bunk; the room it was in was also home to nine other pilots as well. He closed the door behind him and prepared to get climb up to his top bunk. Once he was up there he pulled the privacy curtain and let his mind drift off. As he began to feel his body falling asleep he thought of Lacey one more time and the thought hit him. If he were to date her the odds were good that he would have to get approval from Admiral Tolan, a man who despised his father.

Ostarsis:

In the room where Sharon Bonilla stayed was the computer she used to run the message and decryption software. In her street clothes behind her was Bridget Woods, the Commander was mentally checking the information she wanted to send out.

"Are you sure this can be done Sharon?" Woods asked as she paced back and forth nervously from one side of the room to the other.

"Sure it _can_ be done, but why _should_ it be done?" Sharon turned around and looked at Woods, her thin-framed glasses giving her a more intellectual look.

"The Colonial Fleet will need firepower if they hope to rescue us. This is one way I know of to help them." Woods had stopped pacing now; she knew she was making the right decision.

"So you want me to send info and coordinates to the Eastern Alliance, but with a note to forward it to Admiral Tolan?"

"Yes, I'm sure it's still there and can be of use to Scott and the rest of the fleet."

"Alright then, let me put it all together here and then I'll encrypt it." Bonilla said as she worked her fingers over the keyboard. A few seconds later she told Bridget the message had been sent to the relay satellite the Eastern Alliance had stationed near one of the smaller moons of Libris. The satellite had been there to communicate with other Alliance vessels in the area, for such tasks as reporting the location and details of promising targets. When Darius James was captured he was able to use the satellite to communicate with the Eastern Alliance, a fact that proved to be invaluable.

Bridget gave a sigh of relief and felt better knowing that shortly her friend would have the coordinates of where the _Kios'_ last known location near Armistice Station, and it would provide. Scott Tolan could use another battlestar, especially one that was of the same class as the _Victorious_.

The more she thought about it, there was a part of her that wanted the _Kios_ to be rescued from the cold darkness of space. Even though the battlestar was damaged when the Cylons boarded, it could be brought back to life and provide backup to the surviving battlestars.

**Sphinx:**

"Helm I want you to maneuver us into the middle of the shipyard and remain still while the air group is doing its search." Commander Travis Omega said as he scanned the chart in front of him on the table. His mind was filled with anticipation and anxiousness. There was a chance that the Cylons would show up and he might be forced into a battle. If luck favored him then that shouldn't happen. He ran his hand through his short cut black hair, wondering how fate had led him to where he was at. It felt like it was yesterday, he was the tactical officer of the _Victorious _and not sure of how long it would take for him to be considered for a promotion to the rank of Major. Now seven months later he was a Commander and was in charge of the battlestar that Tyrone Carter had held in such high regard.

There were those onboard who missed Admiral Carter and weren't too thrilled with the prospect of a new commanding officer. He had managed to win most of them over, though there were still some stubborn holdouts. He felt he had gained enough experience serving under Admiral Tolan, Commander Domra, and Admiral Jonasson. He was tall, but had a thin build. Compared to the muscled frames of Tolan and Carter he looked somewhat weak, but he knew how to carry himself and hoped that gave the aura that a leader was supposed to project.

Lampetia Shipyard near the moon of Trevor was the oldest and most active of the shipyards in the Twelve Colonies. Most battlestars and larger warstars were built here. He had decided that if there was a chance of finding useful vessels then this might be the ideal place for it. He had hoped that if the Cylons had attacked Trevor that they would have considered the shipyard a low-priority target.

Colonel Chad Steele, his recently appointed XO, read a report sent in from the air group. "Commander, Major Jefferson is reporting that most ships are destroyed or wrecked beyond repair. However, he said there appears to be a battlestar in one of the enclosed docks. He's requesting permission to investigate."

Omega nodded, "Yes Colonel I want him investigate and send us a report on what he finds."

Major Steven "Mustang" Jefferson maneuvered his viper into the massive enclosed dock. It was a risky move when the risks were considered. If there was any large wreckage drifting about then he would have no room to move, of if the dock was unstable there was a chance of debris becoming dislodged and crashing into his viper.

"Gabby, I want you to shine your raptor's spotlight into the dock. I'm going to need some help to identify the ship in here." Jefferson said as he slowly eased the viper to the dock's entrance.

Lt. Gabrielle "Gabby" Navarro acknowledged the order, and a few seconds later her raptor's spotlight was on and shining on the port flight pod of the battlestar.

Jefferson moved his viper along the flight pod until he saw the name and opened a channel back to the _Sphinx_, "_Sphinx_ this is Mustang do you copy?"

He heard the voice of Commander Omega say, "This is Actual, hear you loud and clear. Do you have an identification of the ship?"

"Affirmative Actual, it is the Battlestar _Xanthus_. Appears to be a _Valkyrie_-class battlestar, and doesn't look like it's been damaged by the Cylon attack. I'm guessing the dock shielded it."

Back in the _Sphinx's_ CIC Omega told Jefferson he had done a great job and to get his air wing back to the ship. He then turned to Lt. Stephanie Bridges, his tactical officer, and told her to get any information he could on the _Xanthus_.

About ten minutes later Bridges said, "Commander Omega I've searched the Colonial Fleet database and the Lampetia database. The _Xanthus_ was in the yard for a trial conversion to a 'Marine Battlestar'. The viper launching systems had been removed and the interior was being modified to accommodate the extra Marines and weaponry that would be aboard. The flight pod lifts were taken out and enlarged to handle raptors and the larger Marine landing craft and other transports."

"Very good Lieutenant," Omega said before turning his attention to Colonel Steel, "Colonel I want you to get with Chief Donovan and see if we can find a way to two the _Xanthus_ out of that dock. If we can get one of the three mobile dry docks here to transport it then we can return with a present for General Maxwell and his brigade."

Colonel Steel saluted and left to go find Chief Valeria Donovan. If all worked well then the _Xanthus_ would be on its way out of the dock within the hour.

**Five Hours Later:**

**Athena:**

The raptor from _Atlantia_ came to a stop on the port flight pod, as they waited to be lowered. In the five hours that had passed since the return to the Eastern Alliance base, the bodies of those killed had been transported over to _Athena_, they had been arranged on the starboard hangar bay. The starboard launch tubes would be used to send the bodies out into space. The effects of the pilots lost in the battle had also been transported over. In lieu of a body these items would have to do instead.

Commander Tim Nash and Admiral James Jonasson would also be on _Athena_ for the memorial service. They, along with Commander Charlie Watts, would join him in paying respects to those lost in battle with Hector Alonzo. Each man had a speech to give, it may have seemed like overkill but Carter felt it appropriate.

**Ketill:**

With General Maxwell confined to a hospital bed, Scott Tolan felt it was up to him to write the after-action report about Alpha Station One. He had already found Mitchell Cain at the Boreas Tavern on the _Olympica_. Now all he needed to finish his report was to get any useful information from Dr. Daimon Ravashol on the _Ketill_.

Part of the orders from Dr. Dennis prevented him from piloting a viper or raptor so he had to borrow one of the pilots from Magic's squadron. Lt. Rachel "Lightning" Noble was his escort to the_ Ketill_, though once they landed he told her to wait in the raptor until he returned.

Tolan entered the area of the ship that had been reserved for Dr. Ravashol and his scientists. He was passing by one of the doors when he heard the crying of babies. He didn't recall any of the scientists having families with him, and that little tidbit couldn't help but raise his suspicions.

"This is Admiral Tolan, is anyone in there?" He asked as he knocked on the door.

He put his ear to the door to try to hear what was going on inside.

"Oh frak, you didn't tell us anything about the Colonial Fleet coming to visit us!" A woman's voice said, though Tolan couldn't quite place where he'd heard it before.

"Even worse it's that false-principled hypocrite Tolan!" The voice belonged to a male but it wasn't Ravashol's.

"Quiet you fool; he needs to know that we hold him in the highest regard…" There wasn't any doubt in Tolan's mind that was Ravashol.

"I'm waiting patiently, but even my patience has its limit. I'll give you five seconds to open the door." Scott waited before saying, "One…"

"Doctor you called him that and worse, you said he had been on one big power trip since the Cylons attacked." The woman said.

"Abbie, you have to realize these steel doors are rather thin and there is a chance he could hear us speaking…" Ravashol said, letting the last part of that sentence hang in the air.

"Two…" Tolan said, is voice a little more impatient.

"What do we do about the babies? There's no elevator to take them to and we sure can't throw them out the window!" The other man said in a panic.

"Three…"

"We've been caught, that's all there is to it. We admit that we covered up the success of Project Theta and we throw ourselves at the mercy of Admiral Tolan and probably Miss Hamilton once she finds out."

"Four…Don't make me come through this door the hard way doctor!"

The door opened and Ravashol backed away from it as quickly as he could. "Admiral Tolan it's such an unexpected but welcomed pleasure to see you! Ravashol said as he tried to put a genuine smile on his face.

"You know you really should use a thicker door for this room. A person standing next to it can hear _everything_ that's being said in here…" Tolan said. The tone of his voice almost jovial but at the word 'everything' there was a definite hard edge to it that was anything but friendly.

"Admiral Tolan I assure you that I can explain everything to you!" Ravashol said as he, along with Josh and Abbie Moreland, backed away from the Admiral's glare

"Yes Dr. Ravashol you have a lot of explaining to do…"


	8. Chapter 8: In Bitter Tempest

**Ketill:**

"You don't scare me Tolan! What do you think about that?" Josh Moreland said as he came towards Tolan.

Scott Tolan didn't move but he shot the angry glare he was giving to Ravashol towards the young man. Josh lost his nerve immediately and backed away.

"I'm a woman though, you wouldn't dare hit me!" Abbie said as she came up and got in Tolan's face.

"Maybe not, but you're making me strongly reconsider that position…" Tolan said menacingly. It was enough to make Abbie back away from him.

"Admiral, if I may be as bold as to state…" Ravashol said, but he didn't get the chance to finish as Tolan grabbed him by his shirt and threw him up against the wall.

Pulling out his sidearm, Tolan placed it firmly under Ravashol's chin, "The more you talk the more I really want to use this." He said with barely contained anger.

"What are you going to do to us, are you going to be as evil as the Cylons and kill us in cold blood?" Josh desperately asked.

Scott Tolan felt his trigger finger wanting to pull the trigger on the gun under Ravashol's chin. He released it and dropped Ravashol to the floor. Once that was done the Morelands came over to check on the doctor.

"When she was first posted to the _Victorious_, Jamie Hamilton's parents came to visit me. They were concerned about their only girl being stationed on my ship…" Tolan began as he kept the gun pointed at the three doctors, "I gave them my word that I would do all I could to make sure nothing bad happened to her. I honor-bound myself to that promise, and I did my part until you came into the picture. You, Dr. Ravashol, made a liar out of me and I damn sure don't appreciate it."

"Where do we go from here Admiral Tolan?" Ravashol asked.

"Lieutenant Noble, do you copy?" Tolan asked through his communicator while he was ignoring the question from Ravashol.

A few seconds later he heard, "I copy Admiral, what can I do for you?"

"I need you to get a message off to the _Victorious_. I want as many of our Marines as can be spared brought over here to the _Ketill_ in order to put the parts of the ship being used by Dr. Ravashol on lock-down. Also see if we can spare any of our medical staff, we have four babies here that need to be looked after." He kept the gun pointed at the three prisoners.

A few minutes later Rachel Noble contacted him, "Admiral the Marines and medical staff will be here in about fifteen to thirty minutes. Will you meet them here at the raptor or where you're at right now?"

"Have them meet me at Room H-5 on the 03 Level, once they're here the prisoners will be escorted to the raptor and then we'll head to _Victorious_."

"Roger that sir, I'll keep the raptor powered up for whenever we leave."

Once the Marines and medics arrived, Tolan used the gun as a pointer to direct them to get up.

"Pick yourselves up off the floor and come with me to the raptor. You're going to be held on _Victorious_ until I can think of something to do that doesn't involve bodily harm and with the way I'm feeling that could take a long while."

Once at the raptor, Tolan motioned them in and had them sit on the floor. He sat in the seat where the ECO would normally be and kept the gun pointed at them as the raptor lifted off and began to make its way to the _Victorious_. He also had a message sent to his flagship asking that four Marines be ready on the port hangar deck for prisoner transport.

"What are you going to do to our projects on the _Ketill_?" Ravashol's curiosity was getting the better of him.

"As I'm sure you heard me say earlier, I'm going to put your ship on lock-down until I know more about the situation. Your projects are on hold indefinitely, maybe when I understand this better I can let them resume but that may take a while."

**Melete:**

Commander Luke Hendrix made his daily run throughout the corridors of his escort battlestar. The _Melete_ and the _Maytoria_ were sister ships, both belonging to the _Orianos__-_class escort battlestars. These were said to represent the best of all the lessons learned from the preceding _Adur_, _Ostri_, and _Tartaro_ classes. That was part of the reason how a few of them found uses in the post-Cylon War fleet. Mainly they served as training vessels were used for experimental purposes. On average they were sent to the scrap yard or expended in weapons tests, such was the fate of the _Orianos_. Outwardly they resembled the original Columbia-class battlestars. However they were about half the size length-wise and had a slightly smaller width. The classification for them was 'BSE' which those in the Fleet joked about the letters standing for 'Basic, Serviceable, and Expendable'.

Hendrix wasn't a very happy man these days. He had high connections in the Fleet, and hoped that one of them could get him the command of a real battlestar. He had lost out to Scott Tolan for the _Victorious_, the fact that Tolan was an admiral made sense that he would be a preferred candidate for a command. It was the snub over the _Kios_ that caused his mind to burn with rage. He had been assured by Admiral Corman that he would be given the _Kios_ and the selection board was a mere formality. It was to his surprise when he discovered that Tolan had pulled a few strings with three of the five people on the selection board. This caused Colonel Bridget Woods to get command over him. As a consolation he was given command of the _Melete_ until the training mission was over, then he would be given command of the _Atlas_.

He was a height of six feet and two inches. His lean frame and rugged complexion went well with his style of leadership, which was described as an 'old-school brass knuckle' style. His crew followed his orders and lived in fear of him. At least the enlisted crew feared him, when it came to his officers he preferred to make sure those positions were filled by his friends. Among the crew he was referred to by the nickname of 'Iron Luke'.

He couldn't shake the feeling that he had been wronged by the Gods. A man of his training should be commanding a real battlestar, not a relic from the First Cylon War that was being used for training purposes. One day he would show Tolan the error of his ways, and make the man pay for sabotaging his shot at the _Kios_. Sure he was still alive, but being a glorified schoolteacher wasn't his idea of living.

He had two hand squeezers that he would squeeze while he jogged; it was his way of coping with the stresses of the job. When he was really mad he would squeeze them vigorously until he could use his other method of getting rid of his job stress. The other way he coped was illegal in the Colonial Fleet, he would start an argument with one of the crew and then pummel until he was tired of it. Striking subordinate wasn't as serious as striking a superior officer but it was something that could easily end a career. He had survived by being on the good side of his superior officers and making sure the crewmembers he assaulted were of the type that could be intimidated easily. That was where he got his power from, and the power felt incredible.

**Forty-Five Minutes Later:**

**Victorious:**

"How've the guards been treating you Ms. Copeland?" Scott Tolan asked the woman lying down on the bunk inside the cell.

"They still shoot me evil looks on occasion but I've stopped worrying about them doing worse to me. I assume that it's because of you Admiral?" The cylon operative asked. Her glance was directed to the Marine guarding her cell. His weapon was trained on her in case she wanted to try to harm Admiral Tolan.

"As far as I'm concerned you're an enemy combatant and a valuable asset for us in this war. I'll give you the best treatment I can afford to a prisoner."

She smiled at him, "That's nice of you, but that doesn't explain why I haven't been tortured, threatened with death, or worse by you or your crew."

"Let's just say that if we're going to survive this then perhaps we should prove with our actions that we deserve to survive. Torturing you or murdering you outright violates my own personal set of values. What kind of example would I set to the crew if I did something that went against those?"

"You would be what my people would consider a 'human', not that I'm complaining." She laughed shortly before regaining her calm demeanor.

"Perhaps it's because of that perception that this whole mess started." Tolan said before changing the subject. "You are going to have three new neighbors; I think they're going to bring back some feelings of nostalgia."

"Oh really, now who might they be?"

"Your neighbors are going to be Dr. Ravashol and the Morelands. I arrested them today for several reasons, but the main one was covering up the success of Project Theta."

Alice held a hand to her mouth, "You're telling me that Dr. Ravashol actually pulled off Project Theta?"

Tolan nodded, "He took DNA from one of my officers and used it to create four babies. Until I can decide on a course of action that would be appropriate I'm going to hold them here as prisoners."

"Decide on a course of action that would be appropriate…what's not appropriate about the one you have in mind right now?" Alice asked the confusion in her voice evident.

"Right now I'd love nothing better than to put my boot as far up their asses as I can"

"Well then, I suppose that wouldn't be most appropriate would it?"

"Not at all…"Tolan said as he glared towards the open door where the three prisoners were standing with four marines. The Marines had their weapons loaded and pointed at them.

'You bastards don't know how badly I want to give the order to shoot…' Tolan thought to himself.

"I was one of the scientists assigned to Project Theta; it was supposed to be the crowning moment of Ravashol's life." Alice said, her face taking on a far-off look.

"What can you tell me about it?" Tolan asked.

"His desire was to break what he thought was one of the last frontiers. He knew that previous scientists had failed in the area of human cloning, and felt that with his genius he could succeed where they failed. He spent most of his time at the Lascaris setting up the equipment he would need, all that he had to do was find someone who would volunteer their DNA for the project. He had some promising candidates but then the attacks wrecked his plans. Do you know who volunteered the DNA?"

Tolan looked away; he didn't want to glare at her. "I don't think 'volunteer' is the right term I'd use for this. He took DNA from one of my pilots without her permission and that has pissed me off in a way I haven't been since Emily was attacked."

"Sorry but I don't think I know who Emily is."

"My wife, she was attacked and took a nasty hit from a heavy iron pipe. She's been in a coma since; I was in a rage I never thought was possible. That's a topic for another day though."

After saying that Tolan then looked down at his watch, "I have to tend to some other business, I'll return later to check up on you and our new guests." Tolan then turned around to leave.

"What 'business' are you tending to?" Alice asked.

"Oh that…I'm going to go see a man about a horse." Tolan winked at her and left the room.

"I'm sorry about your wife…" Alice said as Tolan was walking out the door.

He turned around and walked back to her, "Forgive me Ms. Copeland but what did you say?"

She smiled at him, "I'm sorry for what happened to your wife, I know that's got to be rough for you."

"You know what's interesting?" Tolan asked.

"What would that be?"

"I look at you right now and I can read the sympathy on your face and for a brief moment I can forget that you're a Cylon…" Tolan's voice trailed off for a second before he said, "Thank you for your kind words Ms. Copeland, and I really do appreciate it. I also want you to know that you have nothing to fear from me. You're the only Cylon who can make that claim."

He left the room then and told the Marines to deposit the three prisoners in the cell beside Alice Copeland's.

**Syrinx:**

"He made you watch that movie!?" Jake Krulak asked incredulously. He had gathered as many of the Marines as he could into the hangar of the Syrinx. They had set up a live video link to General Maxwell. On the large projection screen set up in the hangar the Marines could see their commanding officer in his hospital bed.

"You heard me right Colonel, he specifically asked that I watch _Advanced Tactical Training. _I'm telling you that movie is porn for viper jockeys!" Otus Maxwell grunted at the thought of the movie.

"Well sir we here on the _Syrinx_ have put together some material that should help you to feel better." Krulak said as he stepped back into crowd.

It was then that Corporal Devi Singh stepped in front of the video camera, "General Maxwell please give me the chance to humor you with 'The Rules of a Colonial Fleet Pilot'."

Maxwell said, "By all means corporal, I could use a good laugh."

Singh smiled then said, "Rule 1, Look very cool in sunglasses. Rule 2, Adjust flight suit. Rule 3, Check hair in mirror. Last but not least is Rule 4; Adjust temperature on air-conditioner."

Maxwell exploded in a fit of laughter, "Thank you so much Singh, you don't know how much I needed a good laugh!"

Singh saluted and returned to the crowd. Next up was Corporal Clayton Hodges, recently returned from the Eastern Alliance base.

"In honor of our good friend Admiral Tolan, I will now present the Rules of the Colonial Fleet." Hodges said.

"I wish Tolan was here to hear this, you may continue Corporal."

Hodges nodded and said, "Rule 1, Go out to Space. Rule 2, Drink coffee. The last one is Rule 3. Deploy the Marines."

The rest of the group joined in the laughing, the Cylons had done a lot of damage but they hadn't killed the intra-service rivalry between the Colonial Fleet and the Colonial Marines.

The joking went on for the next hour, and then Maxwell thanked Krulak and the rest of the Marines before dismissing them for the rest of the day.

_**Athena:**_

The other three battlestar commanders had spoken, and now it was Tyrone Carter's turn to speak to the capacity-filled hangar. He stood up, his six foot seven inch frame of solid muscle giving him the intimidating appearance he had always tried to use to his advantage. All assembled were wearing their dress grays, it seemed only fitting that they wear their best to honor their dead comrades.

He walked up to the podium and took a minute to scan the room, looking at the sober faces that stared back at him. Some were stoic while others had tears that were freely falling.

"'The Colonial Fleet expects every person serving to do their duty to the best of their abilities…' These are the words of Admiral Wilson Harrell, sent out to his task force before engaging the Cylons at Cosmora. While he perished in that battle, those who served under him held to their duties and carried the day." Carter paused to look at the faces of those in the crowd.

"We are here now to remember and honor those who gave their lives doing their duty; they showed that the words of Admiral Harrell are still alive and well even at a time such as this. To those who wonder what the purpose of this is, I can assure you that there is more than just survival. We will mourn those we lost, but we shall be better for it. The next time we go into battle with the Cylons the memory of Ochoa will be burned into our minds the lessons that we will not forget. To forget would be a grave disservice to our fallen brothers and sisters-in-arms."

He knew they had been listening to speeches for almost an hour; he wanted to wrap it up as best he could.

"Commanders Nash, Watts, and Admiral Jonasson have done more than enough to sum up the feelings that each of us is feeling at this moment. Allow me to end this by telling all of you that I have been blessed by the Gods to have such fine crews on these four battlestars. I am honored and privileged to tell everyone in the fleet that I am the commanding officer of Battlestar Group 67. To our fallen that have made their way to the afterlife it is my most fervent wish that you hear what I have to say; you have competed well;. You have fought the good fight and have kept the faith. Thank you all…"

Carter turned to head back to his seat when he heard an explosion of applause from the crowd. He turned around to face them, but was so overcome with emotion that all he could manage was a mouthed 'Thank you'.

After five minutes of applause it was time to commit the bodies to space. Each battlestar had selected four pallbearers to handle the remains for each ship. Carter had requested that he take the place of Lt. Russell Curtis for the handling of Colonel Dana Gilbert's remains.

When the time came he walked up to the black mortuary bag that was covered with the flag of Colonel Gilbert's home colony of Libris. Along with Captain Celina Cruz, Lt. Jared Vega, and Lt. Tiffany Rojas, they carried the body to the airlock so it could be sent off into space.

On the way there Carter's mind was flashing back to different things over the course of their time together. He remembered when she came to the _Sphinx_ to interview for the CAG position. She had impressed him so much that he cancelled any further interviews and gave her the spot. That was how she came from being a squadron leader on the _Sirona_ to the CAG of the _Sphinx_.

He also thought about the lesson they taught Christopher Alonzo during his brief tenure on the _Sphinx_. He remembered the look on her face when he burned the photos of their makeup job on the young man. He tried to look serious, but it was hard to suppress a smile. Then there were the recent events such as when he took command of the _Atlantia_ and made her his XO. That brought back thoughts of Megan Domra, his XO when he first commanded the _Sphinx_. He had lost two XOs now since the attacks. One to a cylon and the other to a traitor, and there was a part of him that couldn't wait to get the chance to get his hands on Hector Alonzo.

They reached the airlock and set the mortuary bag down and took the flag off, it would be needed for the other casualties from Libris. The four turned and began to exit the airlock single file. Carter stopped and with a quick motion put the index and middle fingers of his left hand to his lips. He then gently placed them on the part of the bag where Dana's head was located. Moving quickly he rejoined the three members of his crew while they went to join with Lt. Curtis for the next casualty to carry to the airlock.

They all watched as the door closed and the body of Colonel Dana Elizabeth Gilbert was committed to space.

**One Hour Later:**

_**Victorious:**_

The door opened and in walked Larsen Banks, followed immediately by Jamie Hamilton. When Tolan had sent Ensign Stadra Ah-Mun to bring them to his quarters, he made sure that the word 'promptly' was used. While Stadra may have been new to her job she was a fast learner on certain parts of it.

"I want the two of you to take a seat; I have a few things to discuss with you." Tolan said as he gestured to the two chairs sitting in front of his desk.

"Does this have anything to do with what happened back on Alpha Station One?" Banks asked hesitantly.

"No this matter doesn't concern that. If it puts the two of you at ease, neither one of you are in trouble. You're not being brought to the principal's office for a lecture and punishment." Tolan said as he observed the two look a lot more relaxed.

'The Gods know that what I'm about to tell them won't go over very well…' He thought to himself. He knew that when he told them about Ravashol and Project Theta things were going to get ugly fast.

"For starters, I have received Lieutenant Hamilton's request to be restored to flight status again…" Tolan said as he settled his gaze on Jamie, "You are to be assigned to Viper Squadron One as soon as you are certified once more as a viper pilot. I am transferring you to the _Melete_ effective tomorrow. You will have the chance to work off the rust that I know you have and you can show some of the nuggets on that ship a thing or two about flying a viper."

"Thank you Admiral, I appreciate you doing this for me." Jamie said not sure if she should make eye contact with Magic. She had intended to tell him about her request, but he was called away before she had a chance to. When he had returned he was so tired that all he wanted to do was lay down and rest.

"What…why didn't you tell me this?" Larsen asked he was more than a little agitated at hearing this.

"Cool off for now Banks, save your anger for something that really deserves it." Tolan said firmly.

"Yes sir…" Banks said.

"With what I'm about to tell you Jamie, you may want to hold off on going to the Melete at the moment. It involves the other reason why I summoned you here." Tolan said solemnly.

"What would that be sir?" Jamie was confused, not quite sure if she wanted to know what Tolan was about to tell her.

"Now the reason I brought the two of you here involves Dr. Ravashol and Project Theta." Tolan said, he noticed Jamie's hand going to the spot on her arm that Ravashol had taken her blood from.

"Wait a second, we were told that Project Theta was a total failure." Banks said, suddenly looking at Jamie as her face took on a far-off look.

"Yes and until an hour or so ago I believed it." Tolan said before adding, "I was on the _Ketill_ and I discovered that Ravashol had used Jamie's DNA to create four babies. Two boys and two girls are the results of this project."

"Do you have any more information?" Banks asked, he could see that Jamie was frozen in place and not moving. Everything about her seemed off somehow.

"The two girls are exact clones of Jamie, but the two boys are different. Ravashol had to find a way to get a Y chromosome to make a boy. So he mixed part of Jamie's DNA with his own DNA and the results are the two boys."

"It's almost like we had sex and I conceived his child…" Jamie quietly said. Tolan and Banks had to strain to hear her.

"I'm afraid so Jamie…" Tolan couldn't say anymore as Jamie began to sob and breakdown crying.

Banks hurried over to her and held her in his arms, trying to reassure her that everything would be alright.

"Magic, take her back to her quarters and I'll send a doctor to check on her. When she's calm you can come back and talk to me. Just make sure she is alright before you do anything else."

Banks nodded and coaxed Jamie out of her chair. They walked out of the door, Jamie leaning heavily on him for direction.

Tolan sat back in his chair, and pressed his hands against his temples. That was probably one of the hardest things he had been forced to do recently. His best guess was that Jamie Hamilton was now fighting a combination of grief and rage, and it was all the fault of Dr. Daimon Ravashol.

_**Athena:**_

The memorial service was now over; the bodies of the dead had been committed to space and given twenty-one gun salutes from the four patrol frigates. With the return to the Eastern Alliance base it was now time for the crews from _Atlantia_, _Achilles_, and _Ares_ to depart from the _Athena_. As the raptor left the port flight pod Tyrone Carter took in the sight of the old battlestar. He had read some of the exploits of _Athena_ from the First Cylon War. Along with _Columbia_ and _Galactica_, _Athena_ had taken part in Operation Raptor Talon. This battle had taken place over an ice covered planet in the far reaches of Colonial space and ended up being the last battle of the war. That day the Armistice was signed and the Cylons would disappear for forty years before they would enact their genocide against the Twelve Colonies.

Carter still had to put together his report together from the Battle of Ochoa, and include the wonderful part about Hector Alonzo escaping from Carillon. If he knew the other admirals the way he thought he did, then there was little doubt that they would all be livid at the man who had originally been elected as the leader of the civilians.

**One Hour Later:**

_**Victorious:**_

Tolan was reading the reports from Carter's battle group when the door to his quarters opened suddenly. Captain Larsen Banks was standing there in front of the now closed door. It was obvious his anger was just barely being held in check.

Tolan leaned back in his chair, "Before I ask about you I want to know how Jamie is doing?"

"Sedated sir, she's a wreck though." Banks said between clinched teeth.

"I'll get her all the help she's going to need; I won't move her to the _Melete_ until she's ready."

Banks nodded, "Thank you for that Admiral."

Tolan exhaled deeply, "You're welcome, now what can I do for you Magic?"

"You can let me into the brig so I can put a round into Ravashol and his assistants."

"I see the guards got the memo about not allowing you access to the brig…" Tolan said, but he didn't get to finish

Banks rushed up to his desk and slammed a fist down hard, causing several papers to fly off and everything else to shake. "You have no right to deny me justice or deny Jamie justice. Tell me just who the frak do you think you are?"

Tolan raised an eyebrow, "Tread lightly Captain, while I am sympathetic to this situation I want to remind you that you are addressing a flag officer. I am the frakking commander of this entire battle group. I command the _Victorious_, and I can tell the commanders of the other ships in this group what they can do. I want you to remember that _Captain_."

He hadn't expected what would happen then. Magic had been such a competent officer that Tolan expected him to calm down and remember he was addressing a superior officer. Instead Magic slugged him in the chin and sent him falling backwards out of his chair. The impact sent fresh pain roaring out of his broken clavicle and rib.

Banks backed up in shock, his eyes wide with a mix of shock and terror. He had just sent Admiral Tolan flying out of his chair. 'I am so screwed…' He thought to himself as his rage melted away for the most part.

Tolan picked himself up off the floor, hoping that his face wouldn't give away the great pain that he was in. "Do you have any idea what you just did?" He said sternly.

"Admiral, I…I…I'm…s…sorry…I just…lost it…what are you going to…umm…do?" Banks stammered, ashamed at himself for possibly frakking himself up good.

"I'm tempted to either throw you in the brig pending charges, or just beat your sorry ass to a bloody pulp." Tolan said as he walked to where Magic was standing, "Instead I'm going to order you to go take care of Jamie and don't do anything else until you're certain she's going to be alright."

Banks saluted him, "Yes sir, thank you! I am sorry about that; I don't know what came over me."

Tolan returned the salute, "I know Magic, but if you ever do that again it will be the last mistake you ever make."

Banks nodded and turned to leave. Before he reached the door he turned around, "Admiral is it true that you killed the men who hurt your wife?"

"Just between you, me, and the walls here the answer is yes. Admiral Carter, Colonel Graystone, and I went over to the ship they were kept on and we tortured them until they died from it."

Banks got a confused look on his face, "Sir then how is it fair for you to keep me from killing Ravashol when you did the same thing when your wife was attacked?"

Tolan walked back over to him, "Let me tell you something about fairness. If life were fair then the Cylons wouldn't have attacked and we wouldn't be in this situation. The fact that my wife is in a coma that she may never come out of isn't fair. Fair would be that I could hold her hand and have her squeeze back. Fairness would be that I could look into her blue eyes and know she's looking back at me. My kids could play with their mother and not have to deal with seeing her lying in a hospital bed with wires and tubes in her body. You have a woman you love that you can comfort and hold. You can at least tell if what you're doing is helping Jamie recover, I don't have that luxury with Emily."

He thought he caught a glimpse of sadness in Magic's eye, "You know what killing those two men did for me?"

Banks shook his head, "I have no idea Admiral."

"Not one damn thing, they're dead but Emily is still in a coma. Sure I got to vent my rage, but it required me to give in to some of my inner demons. I became the kind of person my grandfather and the rest of the Beliseus syndicate were. I won't have closure until I know my wife's suffering is over."

"Sir, is that the part that bothers you the most?"

"No, it's the fact that one day Andrew, Henry, or Lisa will ask me what I did when their mom was hurt and I'll have to decide if I want to tell them that I murdered the men who hurt her in cold blood. I have no idea what the look on their faces will be…" Tolan's voice trailed off before he spoke again, "You're dismissed Captain Banks, go tend to Lieutenant Hamilton like I ordered you."

Banks saluted and left the room. Tolan picked his chair off of the floor and situated it behind his desk. He began to read though Carter's report when he saw the mention of Hector Alonzo and his small group of Cylon baseships.

"You know how much I enjoy getting news like this…" He said aloud, the many problems he was facing just had one more added.

_**Sphinx:**_

The _Xanthus_ had been moved out of the dock and was ready for towing. The _Sphinx_ had the towline prepped; all that was left now was for the ordered to be given to deploy it. Now was time for the next move.

Commander Omega looked over the calculations he had been going over along with Lt. Stephanie Bridges. "Are you certain that this is going to work?"

Bridges nodded, "I think we can reinforce the towline and it should survive the jump to Cosmora. We can always leave the _Xanthus_ here for now and return with one of the mobile drydocks."

Omega shook his head, "I think we need to get the Marines their new present from us. I just don't want the line to snap during the jump, I can't think of a time when this has been attempted before."

"In my opinion sir, we can bring one of the docks back with us and we can take the Xanthus and any of the other ships here that can be salvaged for parts. We can have Navarro's raptor stay here until we return."

"Alright let's recall our vipers and have Navarro stay here until we return. We should play this one safe it's not like the Colonial Fleet is launching new ships left and right nowadays."

_**Helios:**_

Lt. Christopher Alonzo and Ensign Bethany Moline were the ones flying CAP while the battlestar was stationed in orbit around Picon. The raptor crews and deck gang had found more supplies and equipment that was being brought back up to the _Helios_. Along with the supplies were small pockets of survivors on the planet.

"Hey School Boy you think they're going to make anymore trips down there?" Moline asked, they hadn't been chatting a lot since they launched. Mainly they had stayed focus on waiting for the Cylons to possibly appear.

"I doubt it Breeze, from what I've heard is that Sakura wants to get us back to the base and unload everything before we head back out."

"I second that, we've been lucky so far it'd be a shame to jinx things."

Just then their DRADIS screens came alive with alerts of five Cylon baseships.

"Oh frak!" Alonzo exclaimed. "Helios this is School Boy, we have five baseships on your six."

**Hector Alonzo's Baseship:**

"We have a _Mercury_-class battlestar within range, shall we engage?" William Arnold asked Hector Alonzo.

"Not yet, let's get the ship's identity first." Alonzo was hesitant to attack the ship that Chris was stationed on.

"You don't know which of the battlestars he was stationed on?" Sasha Evans asked.

"I know it's one of Tolan's ships but that's all I can remember…" Alonzo said as he searched his mind for the name of Chris' ship.

Finally he made a decision, "Let's withdraw from here, I don't want to risk attacking that ship and killing my only son."

"As you wish Hector, we shall withdraw back to Ochoa." Arnold said with a tone of heavy resignation in his voice.

_**Helios:**_

Commander Sakura barked as she rushed into the CIC from her quarters. "Sitrep Colonel Cordova!" She barked as she glanced up at the DRADIS.

"We have five Cylon baseships off of our port quarter. CAP spotted them and we now have them on DRADIS." Cordova said.

"Have the CAP land right away, and as soon as they land we're jumping to Cosmora. We've had a good run of luck; I don't want to push it much more." Sakura said, wondering why the Cylons hadn't launched raiders or missiles in their direction.

A few moments later came the reports that Alonzo and Moline had landed safely, it was then that Sakura gave the order to jump away from Picon and the Cylons.

_**Svalin:**_

In the flag quarters of the _Svalin_ sat Commanders Antonio Ramos, Helen Troy, and Maria Arrington were all seated as they waited for Admiral Kronus to arrive. Since they're fleet had been in orbit around Leonis they had mainly kept watch for Cylons while the few raptors they had were searching for survivors down below.

"I heard that the Iron Duke found his son down there." Troy said, trying to break the silence in the room.

"I haven't heard him referred to as the 'Iron Duke' in a while; it's kind of nice to know the name is remembered." Arrington said.

"The man is a legend; he's one of the heroes from the First Cylon War. His courage at Cosmora is unforgettable, and it was only a case of dirty politics that brought him down." Troy said. Her brown eyes were filled with a deep admiration for the old admiral.

"I also heard that he found his daughter-in-law and discovered that he has a grandson." Ramos said as he held the glass of whiskey in his left hand and slowly swirled the liquid around before taking a sip.

"In some ways we're like Kronus, part of a dying breed. Before the Cylons attacked most people were interested in serving on a battlestar. They'd settle for a cruiser or a frigate if they had to." Troy said matter-of-factly.

"When you stop and think about it the warstars are relics. When our ships were built six years ago it was to see if this type of ship still had a place in the Fleet." Ramos said.

The warstars were first constructed in the early stages of the Cylon War. They were useful for bombardment but ultimately their rail gun turrets weren't effective when put up against a swarm of Cylon raiders. Once the battlestars came along, the warstars were deployed for surface bombarding and providing firepower support. However their days as the choice front-line combat ship had passed.

It was John D. Talbot at the Ministry of Defense that convinced the powers-that-be to take a chance on the warstars. The six ship _Svalin_ class was conceived and built using the main hull of the _Mercury_-class battlestar as a design base. There were two older warstars that had been held in reserve since the Armistice, the _Aquaria _and the _Tauron_. They were brought back to service and used for training the crews that would be assigned to the six new warstars.

These ships had no flight pods, and the topside mounted four three rail gun turrets on the port and starboard sides. There was one large hangar located amidships, with a hangar bay door located on both sides of the hull. There was also a heavily increased AA armament in order to ward off the Cylon Heavy Raiders. _Aegis_ and _Defender_ had performed incredibly well in battle while the _Svalin_ had yet to see actual combat. For the possibility of close-quarters combat there were various smaller caliber guns located along the port and starboard sides of the hull. These secondary armaments helped the warstars to pack an extra punch along with the rail gun turrets.

Antonio Ramos had served as commander of the heavy cruiser _Taranis_ before he learned that he had been pegged to take command of the _Defender_. He had used his time on the _Tauron_ to get as used to the larger vessel as he could. Some might argue that he was forty-seven year old commander of a relic, but he could feel the power in those rail gun turrets whenever they fired. If he commanded a relic it was a very powerful one.

Helen Troy went by the name of Helen Kruger when she was commanding the light cruiser _Mabon_. It was at the end of the last deployment that she made the decision to marry her longtime boyfriend Kendall Troy. She was a very young-looking forty, and had yet to discover any gray in her auburn hair. It was quite an adjustment going from a light cruiser to the warstar _Aegis_; she would have to remind herself constantly that the larger vessel didn't quite have the tight turning radius of the _Mabon_.

The last of the warstar commanders was Maria Arrington. She was the XO of the _Svalin_ when the Cylons had attacked. Her commanding officer was Commander Samuel Blanton. She was the youngest XO out of the six warstar colonels. She had turned thirty-one and her mother pulled the strings to get her attached to the _Svalin_ once her deployment on the battlestar _Contrebis_. When reports of casualties came in, Blanton learned that his entire family had been wiped out when Picon was nuked. Later that day he had gone to his quarters, put on his dress grays, then pulled out his sidearm and shot him in the heart. Since then she had been in command of the _Svalin _and prayed to the Gods that she didn't get her and her crew killed.

_**Olympica:**_

Alton Mathis was in charge of the first group of people sent over to the _Olympica_ for some well-earned R&R. He had with him a group of thirty-five people from the base, and they were under strict orders to not cause any trouble. He had enough fear instilled in them to ensure that they didn't fall out of line.

He was standing on the top of the _Olympica's_ first-class grand staircase. Before leaving the base he had taken great pains to alter his appearance. He had shaved his head and beard. He was also wearing an expensive Caprican business suit in place of his regular clothing. Taking a look at him it was hard to recognize him as Alton Mathis the Slayer of Beyla. A name he was given when he led the Eastern Alliance on a raid against the city of Beyla on Troy. When one of the inhabitants of the small city killed one of his pirates, he ordered the entire population killed. He had gotten in serious hot water with Magnus, and was forced to promise to never do that again.

The staircase was a true work of art. Its light maple colored walls went all the way from A-Deck all the way down to F-Deck. The opulently decorations and carvings were enough to make the people feel as though they were in a palace instead of a space liner. There were few people milling about, it was late at night and most people had retired to their cabins. That made what he had in mind a lot more workable.

He never trusted the Colonial Fleet, and was sure that the admirals would betray Magnus Ah-Mun when the opportunity presented itself. He was the sole dissenting vote on the matter of trying to contact the military. He felt the Eastern Alliance could rescue people without any assistance, and it was a position he still held. That was part of the reason he made sure he convinced Magnus to let him lead the first group to _Olympica_.

He had to make sure he was alone with a member of the Colonial Fleet or from President Rush's administration. The plan was to murder the person and make sure nobody saw him. The blame would fall on the Alliance or the Cylons. The distrust would grow to a fever pitch and hopefully destroy the peace that existed between Magnus, Rush, and the admirals.

He found a bench against the wall and sat down, resting his large six foot five inch frame while he waited for the right person and moment. He opened a book that he had brought with him onboard, _The Dagur Conspiracy_, so that to the casual observer he was just a first-class passenger sitting on a padded bench reading a book.

**Ochoa:**

**Hector Alonzo's Baseship:**

Once they had returned to Ochoa there was a tense atmosphere in the basestar control room. Hector Alonzo, Sasha Evans, Daniel Warren, William Arnold, and the other six Cylon models stood in silence.

It was Hector who finally decided to break the silence; he wanted to explain his actions at Picon.

He motioned for Sasha to follow him; together they walked over to a small corner of the room where Arnold was standing.

"Is there any way that we can find out what ship Chris has been assigned to? I won't attack it until I give him a chance to join us here on the baseship. I also want to see if we can get my wife and daughter out of that fleet of refugees as well. Once we have them I'll attack without any hesitation." Alonzo said, looking to Arnold and Evans to see their reactions.

"Alright Hector; I have an idea that we can put to use. It's risky but I think it can be done." Arnold said.

You have someone who can get us whatever information we need?" Sasha asked with amazement.

Arnold flashed a knowing smile that gave him the appearance of a kid with a huge secret to tell, "Oh yes, you will be pleased to know that one of the admirals in Tolan's fleet is a Cylon…"


	9. Chapter 9: Eye of the Storm

**Ochoa**

**Hector Alonzo's Baseship:**

"Well now is a fine time to tell me this! Why is it that you didn't know this when you were with Demand Peace?" Hector Alonzo asked incredulously.

William Arnold held his hand to silence him, "At the time I didn't know that I was a Cylon. It all changed when Tolan killed me and I downloaded into my new body. I received information vital to the battle group. It just so happened that I found out that one of the admirals was a Cylon."

"Which one is it?" Sasha asked.

"I'm not at liberty to say right now, but when the time is right I will tell you everything I know." Arnold said before dismissing himself to go to talk to the other models present on the baseship.

"Well you've seen all of the admirals so tell me which one of those looks the most familiar." Sasha asked once Arnold was no longer within earshot.

"That's the problem. I mostly dealt with Kronus, Tolan, and Carter. However that dark-skinned one does look somewhat familiar, the problem is that I can't quite place where I know him from…" Hector said as he searched his mind as to where he might have previously seen the Cylon known as 'Number Four'.

**Cosmora**

**Helios:**

The _Helios_ had just made their jump successfully to Cosmora, with the DRADIS picking up no enemy contacts. Commander Sakura gave the order to proceed to the Eastern Alliance base. It wouldn't be the slow-moving adventure when they first arrived here, the mines had been cleared away by the vipers.

Lieutenant Chris Alonzo and Ensign Bethany Moline were in the ready room for Viper Squadron One being questioned by Ensign Miranda Spires from the Tactical Division. Ensign Spears was to gather any information that they might have picked up from their visual sighting of the baseships. A few minutes later the work was done and the two pilots sat alone in the ready room.

"Breeze I'll admit that was intense, first time I've flown a CAP that the toasters actually showed up during." Alonzo said as he sat back in his chair and stretched.

"There were five of those bastards; if they had fought us we'd have been dead in no time." Moline admitted before folding her arms on the table and laying her head down.

The door to the ready room opened and in walked Major Frank Spencer and the other thirteen members of their squadron. They all assembled at the front of the room, before Spencer walked over to the door and closed it.

"I wanted to be the first to say that the two of you did a hell of a job out there. You kept your cool and didn't panic like a couple of nuggets." Spencer said, looking quite proud at Alonzo and Moline.

"Breeze you held up well and showed that I was right to have you as a part of my squadron." Moline had her head up now and smiled at Spencer's praise.

"That brings me to you Lt. Alonzo; we know you were given the call sign 'School Boy' when you first joined the Fleet. With your recent actions, going back to the _Olympica_ Riots, your squadron and I have decided to give you a new name. We took everything we knew about you from your past before the Cylon attacks and the present. Are you sure you want to hear your new call sign?" Spencer asked.

Alonzo nodded, the anticipation growing. He had hated the name 'School Boy' and he hoped that he had earned a much better one. Such a change would be a break from tradition, but there was usually an exception to the rule.

Spencer grinned, "You will now be known as 'Adonis', we thought it would be appropriate that you be named of the greatest pretty boy in mythology."

"I'll take 'Adonis' over 'School Boy' any day Major!" Alonzo shouted triumphantly.

"You earned it son." Spencer said as the rest of the squadron started a loud round of applause. Finally he said, "Now I want the two of you to go get some rack time. The rest of you, dismissed!"

As soon as Spencer said that the room emptied, everyone going their separate ways. Bethany Moline's rack wasn't in the same berthing area as Chris Alonzo's but she walked with him until they reached the door to his area.

"Goodnight Adonis, you sleep tight!" She said with a smile and wink.

"Same to you Breeze." Alonzo said as he opened the door and entered the room. When the door had closed he showered and got back into his bunk. In less than a day he had met a beautiful woman and got a better-sounding call sign. Once he had gotten a little more shuteye he planned to check up on one Cadet Lacey Tolan.

**One Hour Later:**

**Atlantia:**

Tyrone Carter sat alone in his quarters. He had unbuttoned his uniform jacket and sat down on the couch in his quarters. He held a cold bottle of Virgon Brew that had belonged to a twenty-four pack he had purchased during one of his previous trips over to the _Olympica_. He used it only for special occasions, and in this case he was going to drink one for his XO and friend Colonel Dana Gilbert.

There was a buzzing sound at his door; he figured it was one of his officers needing to talk to him. He told whoever was there to come in. It was to his surprise that he saw Scott Tolan walk in and press the button that closed the doors.

Carter gave him a questioning look, "Tell me are you here as my friend or as a superior officer?"

Tolan laughed before saying, "I'm a higher-ranking officer, wouldn't be right of me to say I was superior to you."

Carter got up and walked over to the refrigerator and pulled out one of the Virgon Brews, "Care to join me in a toast to Dana?"

Tolan took the beer, "It would be an honor. She was a hell of an officer Tyrone, I know she's going to be hard to replace."

Carter nodded, "You're the master of the understatement…" He then held up his bottle and said, "To Colonel Dana Elizabeth Gilbert, an incredible viper pilot, a damn good XO, and a friend to those who knew her."

"Here here!" Tolan said as he went and tapped the neck of his bottle against Carter's before they took a drink.

"What is it that brings you here?" Carter asked, changing the subject to prevent dwelling on the loss of their dear friend.

"I came here to check up on you, wanted to see how you holding up." Tolan said after taking another sip of the brew.

Carter shrugged, "I would love nothing better than to wrap my hands around Hector Alonzo's throat and squeeze until there's no life left in his miserable body."

"Well why don't you tell me how you really feel?" Tolan asked, which prompted a laugh.

"How does this make me look? I go out looking for supplies and get ambushed by five Cylon baseships. Not to mention that I also lose a decent number of personnel and equipment." Carter said as he slumped back onto the sofa.

"You were taking two previously decommissioned battlestars into battle that haven't been completely refurbished to the level we would like, and one of your other battlestars is a relic from the First Cylon War that wasn't given the overhaul required. Of course I should also bring to your attention that the _Atlantia_ was a burned out hulk that had to be restored by salvaging the Virgon fleet. You know what that means?"

Carter raised an eyebrow, "I really need to stop shopping at the used battlestar lots?"

Tolan smirked at him, "No, what it means is that you took a sub par force and put up a spirited fight against five Cylon baseships. I believe you would get a medal for that instead of a court-martial."

Carter shook his head, "Where did you learn how to talk like that? I admit it helps me feel better but where did you get those skills from?"

"I took Dr. Chalfa's Public Speaking class at the Academy; I had figured it'd be an easy course to pass." Tolan said before changing the subject, "Have you decided on your next XO?"

Carter shook his head, "No and I wasn't giving it a whole lot of thought. My first XO was killed when she took command of the _Achilles _and now my most recent XO was killed in action. I don't know who would really want this job."

Tolan sat down in the chair across from the sofa Carter was sitting on, "I have an idea if you're interested in hearing it."

Carter ran his left hand over his shaved head once then looked back up at Tolan, "Sure who is it that you have in mind?"

"I was thinking about Colonel Sean O'Rourke."

"You mean the XO from the _Basilisk_, where's he been at these past few months?"

"When the _Basilisk_ was destroyed there weren't any executive officer positions available so I assigned him to the _Maytoria_ as an instructor. He's got experience with battlestars and with the Ostarsis mission coming up we need someone who can step into the job without too much adjusting." Tolan said as he took a drink from the bottle and tried to gauge the reaction of his friend.

Finally Carter exhaled a deep breath, "You know if it was somebody else giving me their opinion on who I should make my XO I'd tell them to go frak themselves. However Scott, since it's coming from you I'll go with it. You're one of the few people whose judgment I trust."

Tolan nodded, "I'll send word to the _Maytoria_ to send him over within the next couple of hours." He then finished the rest of the bottle and sat it down, "I hate to do this Tyrone but I have to head back to _Victorious_. I had received word earlier that the _Helios_ will be returning soon from Picon."

Carter offered his friend a handshake and Tolan accepted, "Thanks for stopping by, when I think about it you've done more for me than most of my family." As Tolan was walking away he asked, "Are you sure there's not a need for me to apologize for Ochoa?"

Scott was walking towards the door when Carter asked that question. He turned around and looked at his friend, "An apology for that is like having a television on your honeymoon…unnecessary."

_**Helios**_:

"You're just now telling me what happened to Emily?" Lacey Tolan asked Chris Alonzo. He had met her on the Observation Deck, where she promptly informed him that she had received a marriage proposal from Ensign Mikel Turner. After putting his mind at ease by telling him she had turned it down, they made their way to the mess hall for some food before they arrived at the Eastern Alliance base.

"I'm sorry Lacey, but with everything that's been going on it slipped my mind and I just remembered to tell you about it. Can you forgive me?" Chris asked hoping his sincerity was coming through.

"I won't hold it against you this time Chris, I just wish I had more time to mentally prepare for this. You know I had to live with her and the kids my senior year of high school?" Lacey rested her head on her right hand as she tried to fight a rush of tears that had come to her eyes.

"No, I assumed you had stayed with your aunt for all four years." Chris said, suddenly the food on his plate wasn't so inviting.

"Aunt Sylvia was doing alright until about two months before the start of the school year. She was out in the yard working on her rose bushes when she had a heart attack. I called for help and she was rushed to the hospital. The doctors told me that she didn't have long and that if any family wanted to see her before she passed then they had better get there soon." Lacey had managed to keep the tears at bay, but her eyes had a far off look as though she were watching the past on a movie screen.

"Was Admiral Tolan and his family able to make it?" Chris asked.

"Emily and the kids were able to get there within the hour since they lived on Canceron. Scott was in command of the _Vanguard_ at the time, but he was able to get emergency leave to come home. I believe Colonel Woods took over command for the rest of the deployment." Lacey's expression hadn't changed much since she began telling the story.

"How long did she linger?" Chris asked, his hand moving across the table and taking hold of Lacey's free hand. It was an instinctual move on his part, but he was pleasantly surprised when Lacey made no attempt to break his hold.

"Through the night, it wasn't long before sunrise when she passed. The kids were asleep on a bed, but Scott, Emily, and I were out in the hallway talking. We heard Aunt Sylvia call out the names 'Henry' and 'Andrew'. We went into the room and she was sitting up in her bed with her arms out in front of her, like each hand was being held by someone."

There was a brief pause before Lacey spoke again, "She told Scott that his dad and brother had to take her home. He asked her not to go, that she was still needed here. She fell back against the bed and suddenly her breathing became shallower and her face became paler. She looked at me and told me that she loved me like a daughter and was so proud of me. She then told Emily to take care of her boy and her beautiful grandchildren."

Chris leaned in close, "Did she hold on long enough to say something to the admiral?"

She nodded as tears began to stream down her face, "She told him that he had made her so proud. That she was thankful he didn't go the way of his brother and that she loved him more than he'd ever know. Then she closed her eyes and her breathing got even shallower until finally she stopped."

Chris took a napkin and tried to dry her eyes, but she held her head up and with her free hand took it from him and dried her own eyes.

"Scott leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. I'll never forget what happened after that. The toughest man I'd ever known in all my life started crying, and in all my years I'd never seen Scott Tolan shed a tear." She took a deep breath, "I don't think we have much time left before we arrive at our destination, let's finish our food and find a happier topic to discuss."

Chris agreed since he didn't want to press her anymore on that particular issue.

Before he could think of something to say, Lacey asked him a question.

"Is this some kind of act you're putting on?" She said after taking a bite of the roll on her plate.

Chris was stunned but he managed to say, "What makes you say that?"

"I've read about you in the gossip columns, you have a reputation for being a party animal and a 'player' so to speak. Here you are sitting across the table from me as an officer and a gentleman. I want to know which one is the real you." She looked him in the eyes as though she was searching for something.

Chris took a deep breath and quickly nodded, "Both are true, that's the best way I can put it. When I was growing up in Caprica City I was everything those gossip columns said I was and then some. In fact, after the Cylons attacked I didn't change anything about the person I was. You'd think losing most of my friends and family would put life in perspective but it didn't go that way with me. What changed me was when my father 'volunteered' me for the Colonial Fleet. I was assigned to the _Sphinx_, and after getting on the CAG's bad side I was sent to the man himself…Tyrone Carter."

"I see…please continue." Lacey said her expression unreadable.

"To make a long story short, Carter made sure I saw the error of my ways and I've been doing all I can to show him that I changed for the better." Chris said, and then he waited for Lacey's reaction.

"You went up against Tyrone Carter and lived to tell about it. I'd say the Gods were looking out for you that day." Lacey said with a laugh, her facial expression had changed to a more light-hearted look.

"All six feet and eight inches of him and I walked away with a desire to stay alive and not piss him off!" Chris and Lacey both started laughing and then he asked, "Have you ever met Admiral Carter before?"

"Admiral? I see he got promoted after the attacks. I've met Tyrone before, maybe it's just me but he was more like a teddy bear than a raging bull when he was around me. After Aunt Sylvia passed away, Emily and the kids moved into her house so I wouldn't have to change schools. My graduation party coincided with shore leave for Scott's battle group. You had a mix of high school students and Colonial Fleet personnel on shore leave."

"I can only imagine how well that went!"

"Not as bad as you think, but Scott told Tyrone to keep an eye out in case my boyfriend at the time tried something with me. Needless to say he did, and Tyrone was there to pick him up by the collar of his shirt and show him the error of his ways."

"I'm surprised you weren't mad at him for pulling a stunt like that."

"We were going to break up soon, he was heading off to Delphi University and I was going to the Fleet Academy. He wanted to 'close the deal' with me as a parting gift. I told Tyrone that he must have been my guardian angel. He said he didn't have a problem with that, but he didn't want anyone to hear me refer to him as an 'angel'. I think it would have ruined his rep."

"One day I'll tell you more about my experience with Carter. For now let's finish eating and get ready for you to see your family."

_**Melete: **_

Luke Hendrix was squeezing his hand grips fast as his anger coursed through him. He was in his quarters with Chief Engineer Martha Bolton and Chief Petty Officer Jason Macias. He had been sporting for a fight all day long, and now he had a chance to vent his rage on someone.

"With all due respect Commander, I don't see how this can be blamed on me." Bolton said, trying to defend herself.

"You are a sorry excuse for an engineer Bolton! I might as well put one of those students of ours in charge down there. More work might actually get done. It's a simple thing really, you get the blueprints for the Melete and you acquire the parts needed to get the power plant up to Fleet standards." He had gotten up from his chair and was right in Bolton's face.

"Our power plant is a holdover from over forty years ago. I have sent a request over to the manufacturing ship to have the parts I need produced. There is a backlog right now because of the damaged battlestars. I can keep the ship going, but there is nothing more that I can do at the moment."

Hendrix jabbed a finger into her sternum, "You're damn right there's nothing you can do! In all my years in the Colonial Fleet I have never seen such incompetence, you're no better than Chief Macias."

"Wait a minute Commander…" Macias said but that only made Hendrix turn his wrath towards him.

"You are one stupid frakker, is it too much to ask that you keep records on the students and instruct them on how to keep the hangars looking like something other than a junkyard?"

"I have taken care of that, some of my technicians were failing to fully carry out their duties and I made sure they corrected their mistakes. It won't happen again."

"You're right it won't happen again! I want the two of you out of my sight and I don't want to see you until I'm damn ready for it, now get your sorry asses out of my quarters!"

They turned to leave and he walked behind them and pushed both of them hard out of the door, they collided with the wall and he slammed the door hard.

Walking back to his desk, Hendrix pulled out a bottle of ambrosia. Taking off the cap, he took a long swig from the bottle. He took three more and all it did was make him angrier. He was particularly mad at Chief Macias for interrupting him while he was dressing down Bolton. A couple more swigs and he was more fighting mad than usual. He put the bottle down and took a Caprican Imperial cigar out of his desk. He lit it and decided that once he was through smoking he would teach Macias a lesson.

**Ostarsis:**

The underground tunnels were a confusing maze of twists and turns. It was probably because of this that the Resistance had been able to escape Cylon detection. In one of these rooms was a makeshift conference room. Sitting at the round table in the center of the room was Commander Bridget Woods, Major Shane Cornell, and Colonel Jesse Quinn.

"We've had another successful rescue mission, thank the Gods." Cornell said. He was about Bridget's age, though he kept his head shaved because of premature baldness. With his striking brown eyes he looked like he belonged in the Army or Marines.

"We were able to hit the Elysium Resort and managed to free six hundred of the prisoners. One of the odd things is that about ninety percent of them are men. We're not quite sure if the women are being kept in a separate location or if they…" Quinn let the last part of the sentence hang in the air.

Bridget reached a conclusion, "They may have been used in some sort of experiment or worse."

The other two resistance leaders nodded solemnly.

"We've been going over the information you received from the Eastern Alliance. How much trust do you put in their reports?" Cornell asked Bridget.

"I can vouch for Scott Tolan, and everyone knows who John Kronus is. I believe it's legit and in a matter of time we'll be rescued." Bridget then added, "I've been doing some thinking about this matter, and I feel that we need to arm the civilians to assist us when the Colonial Fleet does come to our rescue."

Quinn looked at her and asked, "We don't have the firepower to arm everyone here. How do you suppose we'll go about this?"

"We turn our attention away from freeing prisoners and towards acquiring more firepower. I can get a message to Tolan asking if he can spare some firearms for us, but apart from that we need to scour this planet for anything that can be of use to us."

"Sounds reasonable enough," Cornell began, "I have to wonder how far you want to take this. Do we only arm civilians that are eighteen or older? Is it bad enough that we'll need to arm children as well?"

"We need to leave the children out of this; there are some extremes that even I'm not willing to go."

They talked strategy for a few more minutes before adjourning till a later date. Bridget went to her quarters and lay on the bed, she had to wonder how much longer it would be until they would be rescued.

_**Svalin:**_

The three warstar commanders were still talking when the door to the room opened and in walked John Kronus. The legendary admiral was seen by many as the embodiment of simplistic, laconic virtues, packaged in a well-built 6-foot-4-inch, two hundred and twenty-four pound frame that represented the very best of the Colonial Fleet. Those who had served under him over the years knew him to have the demeanor of a man who did not look for trouble but was relentless in tackling it when it affronted him. He possessed a handsome and hearty face, with crinkles around his blue/green eyes that gave the impression of a man of action.

They stood at attention and saluted him, he returned the salute and told put them at ease.

"I heard about your family, how are they?" Helen Troy asked.

"My daughter-in-law is doing fine and the same can be said about my grandson. It's my son that I've been worried about. The doctor has him on an IV and he's receiving a healthy dose of antibiotics. When we return to the base he'll be transferred to the Solace for further treatment." Kronus said as he walked over to a small bar and poured himself a glass of water.

"We've received a report from the _Aegis_ that another small group of survivors and supplies have been delivered. If all goes well we should be finished within the hour." Ramos said.

"Very well then," Kronus said before taking a drink from his glass, "We'll go back to the Fleet to drop off our supplies and the civilians. Once we've done that then it'll be back to searching the rest of the Colonies."

"Are there any places in particular we're going to?" Ramos asked.

Kronus pulled out a sheet of paper that was in his pocket, "There is a list of various outposts that were overlooked when Tolan was busy rounding up survivors. If we're going to take on more people and possibly add more ships then we'll need everything of value we can put our hands on. We've taken care of Leonis so I think we'll head to Aerelon once we make our delivery to the Eastern Alliance base."

"Do you think there might be more survivors hiding out in Colonial space?" Arrington asked.

"While I can't really say what the odds are of us finding them, I'm going to pray to the Gods that we find some." Kronus folded the paper and put it back in his pocket. "Commanders Ramos and Troy I want you to head back to your ships and prepare to jump."

_**Olympica:**_

There were two admirals on the _Olympica_ at the moment. Neither knew that the other was there, which worked to his advantage quite well. He wasn't in control of his abilities though; it was as though a switch had been turned on that made him into a totally different person. Most of his model hadn't been designed for sleeper-type operations, but he had been an exception to the rule.

He had been smuggled into the Colonial Fleet, and thanks to the help of the Six on Caprica he was added to the Fleet Database. As far as anyone knew he had attended the Academy like everyone else and had served for years. Thanks to people such as Scott Tolan he was an admiral with unlimited access to the most sensitive data.

He turned a corner in the hallway on D-Deck and walked into the A la Carte restaurant located near the aft-end of the liner. He was dressed in civilian clothes, which gave him further anonymity. He ordered a salad and tea, and then sat down at a table. He took off a backpack he carried on his shoulder and took out a small handheld computer. He turned it on and inserted a small hard drive. He pressed a few buttons then moments later heard a small chime.

He had just sent to the Cylons a complete list of vessels and their crews in the fleet. Also included were the reports from Ochoa and Alpha Station One, in his mind it made sense providing them all the information available. Even more vital was the location of the Eastern Alliance base and the plans for the Ostarsis mission.

_**Olympica First-Class Staircase:**_

There was more than just one person on the _Olympica_ with trouble planned. Alton Mathis looked up from his book and saw that the staircase landing was empty. He focused less on the book's pages and more on anybody that might come his way. In his mind he had mapped out his plan of attack. He needed someone from the Colonial Fleet, preferably an officer, to come his way.

He sat back against the wall, and to the casual observer it would seem he was enjoying the ornate wood carvings on the walls. There was a movement to his left and he saw a couple walking out of the hallway and to the other side of the landing. He could have taken them but the truth was that he was hunting bigger game. The young woman was holding hands with a young man that looked to be about her age. They turned and began to descend the staircase. They didn't even seem to notice him and surprisingly that didn't bother him the slightest.

Another couple came his way. This time it was an attractive red headed woman and a…Colonial Fleet officer! Mathis' mind began to race with thoughts of how to proceed next. The man had dark skin, a bald head, and seemed to radiate a sort of charm that the woman he was with seemed to enjoy. They stopped by one of the rails and began to talk.

He could read lips to a certain extent but not very well, but seemed that their conversation had suddenly taken a very serious turn. He put one of his hands on her stomach, and she didn't make an effort to move it away. It was then that he thought he noticed a tear begin to stream from her eye. He pulled her to him and kissed her on the top of her head. He was trying to comfort her. Mathis could make out the man whispering the words, "Ssshhh…Andie…" and wondered just what kind of relationship the two had. He decided that since the woman was clearly a civilian he would wait for her to leave and then deal with the officer. The man looked as though he possessed a strongly built body, and Mathis realized he would need stealth and the element of surprise to pull his plan off.

_**One Hour and Twenty-Four Minutes Later:**_

Hector Alonzo had retired to his quarters to get some 'rest' as he liked to call it. However what he was doing with Sasha Evans was more like a marathon. The tension between them had been building since well before the Cylon attacks. They had flirted with each other, which escalated to late dinners together. What finally developed was a full-blown affair between the Mayor of Caprica City and his Chief of Security. It went without saying that each hoped that knowledge of their affair would never reach their spouses.

With Sasha's husband dead and Gloria situated in the civilian fleet, the two of them decided to revive their illicit tryst. Hector had just pulled Sasha to him to start another round when there was a knock on the door.

"Go away; I'm trying to get some rest!" Hector shouted with more than a hint of annoyance.

"President Alonzo, it's an urgent matter that I need to speak with you about!" The voice belonged to Daniel Warren.

"How urgent is it Mr. Warren? I really need to relax here for a little while longer." Hector said, cursing his luck as Sasha got out of bed and began to dress.

"Mr. Arnold told me that a message came in a few minutes ago that he wants to discuss with you."

Hector was trying to tell Sasha to stop getting dressed without having Warren overhear them. Watching her put her clothes back on after the fun they had just had was torture for the man.

"Very well, I'll be there to speak to him in about five minutes." Hector said, slamming a fist on the bed in frustration.

"Thank you Mr. President, will Sasha be joining you also?"

Hector's eyes widened, "How long have you been at that door?"

"Ummm…long enough to umm…know that the two of you were in there." Warren said nervously.

"I'm glad you're such a trained investigator Mr. Warren, one day I must speak with you about that." Hector said as he pulled Sasha to him and gave her a kiss on the lips.

"Duty's calling Mr. President." Sasha said in her sultry voice.

_**Atlantia:**_

Chris Alonzo stood outside of the door to Admiral Carter's quarters. The _Helios_ had arrived safely to the Eastern Alliance base and the first news they heard was about the Battle of Ochoa. He pressed for more information and discovered that the highest-ranking officer killed was Colonel Gilbert. After finding that out he decided to speak to Carter and pass on his sympathies. Even though his time on the _Sphinx_ was short, the two had made a lasting impression on him that didn't include the photographic proof.

Then there was the other reason for his desire to meet with Carter. It was the discovery that his father, Hector Alonzo, had escaped from Carillon and was now working with the Cylons. His heart had started to race with worry when he heard the news, and the fact that he was the son of a traitor didn't make him feel better. Apart from the worry he felt for his mom and younger sister, he worried about how he would be judged by the Colonial Fleet. He thought of Lacey and wondered if the sense of hopelessness he felt was similar to one she might have had when she started as a student at the Academy.

He had escorted Lacey to the _Victorious_ where she had a tearful reunion with Admiral Tolan. He wanted to stay but he ultimately excused himself and took his borrowed raptor to the _Atlantia_. Lt. Dalton was the Officer on Deck, and he had to go through her to get to Carter. She was civil towards him but like many on _Atlantia_ there was a strong hint of dislike being sent his way from her eyes. There was no telling what would happen, but Carter told her to send him down to his quarters.

Now he was standing there trying to get his courage up to face the man he hadn't seen in Gods knows how long. It was probably from his first day on the _Sphinx_ when he and his fellow nuggets got their first look at the man and saw how intimidating he looked. Along with the fear was a seething anger that he felt towards his father. It seemed as though the man couldn't help but make the wrong decision. He remembered that time on the _Styx _when he had said goodbye to him, and wondered if it had all been an act. If Hector Alonzo had been sincere in his words that day then the last thing he should have done was collaborate with the Cylons. Taking another deep breath to steady his nerves he opened the door to the admiral's quarters and walked in.

_**Melete:**_

The ambrosia had put Luke Hendrix in an even fouler mood than the one he had been in earlier. The nerve of Chief Macias grated on him and he wanted to do something about it. He stood up from his desk and straightened his uniform. He knew Macias would more than likely be found in his office located on the port hangar bay. It was time to take his anger out on the man, and with his alcohol-fueled mindset there was no telling how far he would go…

_**Olympica:**_

'Reese…" the red head appeared to say as the man still held her.

Andrea Graystone and Reese Pittman had finally managed to have the time to have a talk about…well everything. They talked about Emily, Scott, and most importantly the baby she was carrying. Gianne and Tim Nash were on the _Solace_ while she got away for the first time since Emily had been attacked.

Captain Reese "Spartan" Pittman had wrapped up his CAG duties early. He wanted to get off of _Victorious_ for the night before tomorrow began and he had to carry out the same routine. He had been thinking about Andie quite a bit, much more so after the conversation he had with her brother Andre. He was able to get through to her on the Solace, and the stars had aligned in his favor. Tim and Gianne were there to watch the kids, giving Andie the chance to come and meet him on the _Olympica_.

Now here they were at the Grand Staircase and a wave of emotions began running through her. She felt safe here with Reese holding her. They were going to try to see if they could make their casual fling turn into a real relationship, and Reese was determined to be in the baby's life regardless of what happened between the two of them. Andie's mind felt as though a huge burden had been lifted. There were a lot of things she could say about Reese and most of them would be true. One of those was the fact that he was a decent man, even if he tried to hide it most of the time.

Mathis watched patiently wondering when 'Reese' was going to part ways with 'Andie'. He reached into his jacket pocket and his hand gripped the ceremonial Eastern Alliance dagger that he carried with him. When the authorities discovered the body of 'Reese', the dagger would serve to incriminate one of the pirates onboard the _Olympica_. Every member of the Alliance had been given one by Magnus when they became a member so every last one of them would fall under suspicion. He was somewhat familiar with the rank insignias of the Colonial Fleet and he recognized that the man was a captain, and that would give his murder more of an impact than if he had been a person of lower rank. All he had to do was wait for the right moment to strike…


	10. Chapter 10: Against All Odds

_**Olympica:**_

Alton Mathis watched the couple intently, waiting for the moment when the woman left and he'd have his opportunity to kill the officer. They were still talking and 'Reese' was holding both of 'Andie's' hands. There was an undeniable attraction between the two, making Mathis wonder exactly what their history was.

He thought he heard her say something about the _Solace_. They kissed and she walked away, giving him the moment he'd been waiting for. He stood up, holding the dagger in his hand. It had to be fast so that he wouldn't be caught. It was a pity he thought, a moment like this was one he wanted to drag out and savor for as long as he possibly could.

_**Atlantia:**_

"Come in and have a seat Lieutenant. What's compelled you to come here, a place where you're not exactly held in the highest regard?" Carter asked after finishing his second bottle of Virgon Brew.

"I'm not entirely sure. I heard about Colonel Gilbert's death and that my father is now working with the Cylons. I thought that if there was one person who would know about it, it would be you."

Carter nodded and then said, "Question for you Mr. Alonzo, I want to know what your reaction would be if I told you those rumors were true?"

"I'd be angry with him and ashamed that the blood in my veins is linked to him." Chris said with an even voice.

"I honestly want to believe you. The problem is that I remember all too well your actions when you were assigned to the _Sphinx_. I had to blackmail you into being a decent person as well as an officer. Why should I believe that you are different from your father in any way?" Carter asked skeptically.

Alonzo's body stiffened, "I admit I made a mistake sir, and you took the proper actions to look after my best interests. I'm not proud of the way I acted when I was under your command, but I have done all I can to become a damn fine officer."

Carter raised an eyebrow and said, "Commander Sakura, Colonel Cordova, and Major Spencer all vouch for you. You've been a model crewman and officer. I'm wondering which Chris Alonzo is the real one. Is it the young punk who spat in my face and almost got his ass kicked, or is it the young man who became a model officer when transferred to the _Helios_?"

Carter knew he was holding Chris responsible for his father's actions, but he also couldn't forget the young man's actions back on the Sphinx. He had been arrogant, rude, and nothing but disrespectful to him and his officers. He didn't feel guilty though, he had to see just what Chris Alonzo was made of. Some of the best officers were forged in the fires of adversity.

Chris was a mix of emotions. His nerves were on edge from dealing with the hostility that was directed towards him, but he did all he could to hide it. The last thing he wanted to do was show something that could be perceived as weakness by Carter. There was a part of him that could understand the anger, it was his father who had caused the loss of life that _Atlantia_ and rest of Carter's battle group had suffered.

He also couldn't help but feel angry towards his father. Probably the only good thing Hector Alonzo had done for his son was volunteering him for the Colonial Fleet. Besides that, he had done nothing but make Chris' life more difficult. This tense meeting with Tyrone Carter was proof of that.

Chris strengthened his resolve as best he could. He had to show the admiral that he was a man of stronger character than his father.

"My actions will prove to you that I have changed for the better. When it's all said and done that's all I can do to show you that I'm not my father." Chris said with a conviction he wasn't sure he had ever had before.

"I destroyed those photos, they no longer exist." Carter said as his eyes locked with Alonzo's.

The young man was momentarily stunned and finally asked, "Why are you telling me this sir?"

Carter shrugged and said, "You've proven to me that with the right incentive you can change for the better. You believing those photos existed kept you in line, now I'm going to see what kind of person you really are."

"I know I don't serve under you anymore but I'll make you proud sir." Chris saluted and turned to leave. He stopped to turn around and added, "I wanted to tell you how sorry I am about Colonel Gilbert I heard she was a close friend of yours. You have my sympathy sir."

"Thank you Lieutenant, I appreciate you taking the time to tell that to me. You can go now."

Chris walked towards the door, but stopped before reaching it and turned around again.

"Admiral, did you know that Lacey Tolan was one of the cadets rescued from Picon?"

Carter's facial expression didn't change, "Would you care to explain to me why that should mean anything to me?"

"Well sir, I met her on the _Helios_ and she told me that she knew you. Going by what all she told me I felt you would be pleased to know she was alive." Chris said nervously.

Once more Carter's face was unreadable, "Yes it does please me, and thank you for telling me."

Chris turned to leave, and was reaching for the door when Carter got his attention.

"Lieutenant, by chance do you have a romantic interest in her?"

Chris froze in his tracks, "Why are you asking, Sir?"

This time Tyrone Carter's face was very readable and his smile chilled Chris' blood.

"If she told you the story I believe you were told then you know I don't want to see her hurt. Because if you hurt her or break her heart…"

"I know sir, you will break my neck." Chris said, knowing how nervous his voice was sounding.

"Yes I will, but remember there are other bones in your body as well. I'll break every single one of them and then I'll break your neck. You may go now Lieutenant. Thank you for your condolences, and please remember what I said about Lacey…"

Chris saluted, which Carter returned, and made a hasty exit from the Admiral's quarters. For the life of him he couldn't figure out which frightened him more, the prospect of dealing with an angry Tyrone Carter or an angry Scott Tolan.

**One Hour Later:**

_**Victorious:**_

"I could have sworn Aunt Sylvia would never stop lecturing you after she found out!" Lacey Tolan said with a laugh.

"It was the only time I ever snuck you out of school, and it was for a very good reason." Tolan said.

Lacey smiled at her cousin, "You knew how badly I wanted to see the Canceron Bulldogs play the Caprica Buccaneers. I had no problem at all with you getting me out of school early and taking me to the Joran Coliseum for the game."

"I'm aware of that Lace, but you should have thrown away the ticket stub instead of keeping it in the pockets of your jeans where it could be found. Mom didn't let me live that down for most of the year!" Tolan then laughed slightly before saying in a quiet voice, "Gods how I miss that woman!"

"I do too, for someone who wasn't my mother she did a pretty nice job." Lacey said.

Before Scott could respond the phone began to ring. He got off the couch and walked over to answer it. He said a few words that couldn't be heard well and then hung up the receiver.

"Good news or bad?" Lacey asked.

"The Eastern Alliance received a message from the Ostarsis Resistance. Commander Woods wanted to inform me that her battlestar might still be at Armistice Station. On top of that is the suggestion that it can be salvaged and used in the future."

"I take it that falls under the 'Good' category?" Lacey tried to read her cousin's face to see what his emotions were. This was one of the cases where he was keeping them hidden.

"It's good news, no doubt about it. I'll have to figure out the best time to take one of the dry docks off of the Lampetia mission and have it come with us to Armistice Station."

He was going to say something when the phone began to ring. Lacey was going to speak, but Tolan held up a finger to suggest to her that she needed to hold on to the thought for a moment.

Lacey watched as Scott picked up the phone and this time his face went pale within the first few seconds of the clearly one-sided conversation. She didn't have to ask, she knew something was wrong.

She got out of her chair and went over to Scott once he hung up the receiver, "Scott what's the matter?" She asked with an unmistakable concern in her voice.

"I have to get over to the _Olympica_. Captain Pittman, my CAG, was brutally attacked and is in critical condition. To make matters worse is that Andie is being held as a suspect."

Tolan then told her to stay in his quarters until he returned. If there was a murderer on the loose then he wanted Lacey as far away from the _Olympica_ as possible.

**Hector Alonzo's Baseship:**

"How can this be reliable?" Hector Alonzo asked with the skepticism in his voice more than obvious.

"It was one of the things our admiral sent us about an hour ago. We now know that Tolan and the Eastern Alliance are hiding in the Pallas Nebula near Cosmora." William Arnold said patiently.

"Cosmora is a place of interest, considering that one of the last major battles from the first war was fought there." Sasha Evans added.

"It would appear that there is a chance to engage Kronus as well as Tolan and wipe away that defeat from all those years ago. The only problem is that I'm not ready to attack them until my family has been extracted from the fleet." Hector said with the hope that the Cylons had thought of a plan to pull that off.

"We have a plan put into place; it's just a matter of you giving the order to execute it." Arnold said, deferring command to Alonzo.

"That's fine with me, but shouldn't we move closer to Cosmora to pull it off?"

"We can use the size of Cosmora as well as the radiation given off by its atmosphere to hide us from the enemy until we have recovered your family. We should only use our baseship and hold off on deploying the rest to Cosmora until the last possible moment." Arnold said before walking off to converse with the other models.

Sasha then placed her arms around Hector's neck and asked, "So what's going to happen once your wife is onboard? Is this going to put an end to our little…relationship?" She asked with her amazingly sultry voice.

"I'm the most powerful man in the known galaxy, I can have you and there's nothing Gloria can do about it." He said before kissing her on the lips, in a few minutes they would be back in his quarters for more 'rest'.

_**Olympica:**_

Amidships on E-Deck was the Olympica Security Offices. The spaces consisted of the offices used by the security officers, five holding cells that could comfortably house eight people, two solitary confinement cells, and three interrogation rooms. Currently in Interrogation Room 3 sat a very frustrated Andrea Graystone and Investigator Rhoda Davis. The large pale-skinned woman ran her fingers through her curly black hair and let out a loud sigh.

"Major Andrea Celeste Graystone. Serial Number **NE-951643**, currently on pregnancy leave, and before that you served as the Commander of the Air Group of the Battlestar Victorious. Does all this sound correct to you?" Davis asked as she kept her eyes fixed with the eyes of the woman sitting across the table from her.

"Your grasp of my military record is amazing…" Andrea said, not even bothering to conceal her sarcasm.

"Oh yes Miss Graystone I know your record very well. You graduated in the bottom fifteen of your class while your twin brother was in the top five. Your first posting was the Battlestar _Solaria_ where you were assigned to Squadron One of the Black Knights. Two years later you are transferred to the Battlestar _Alcaeus_ and you remained there until you were transferred to the Battlestar _Vanguard_." Davis' voice was business like, it sort of struck Andie as though the woman was simply reciting facts.

"You know it would be interesting except for the fact that I was aware of the battlestars I served on so explain to me just why this all matters?" Andie tried to hide the feeling she felt in the back of her mind. She was sure what was coming up next.

Rhoda Davis allowed a sly smile to show on her face, "It's this little incident between your last deployment on the _Alcaeus_ and your assignment to the _Vanguard_. Does the name Robert Sebastian Wells mean anything to you?"

It was exactly what Andie had feared, "Yes I recognize the name. He's the Marine who tried to force himself on me; it was a case of self-defense."

"Of course it was Major Graystone!" Davis said in a formal patronizing voice, "You were only too quick to pull out a gun and shoot him in the shoulder and the leg because he came onto you a little too strongly."

"You think I should have just let him force me into his car and have his way with me?" Andie said, her anger rising.

"You have a reputation as a bit of a…wild woman. If you ask me it probably wouldn't have been any different from dates you had in the past." Davis said to her, this time more mocking than patronizing.

Andie then said in a low menacing voice, "I was cleared by a military court of all charges, and if you insinuate one more time that I'm some kind of whore you will finally have a reason to keep me in one of those holding cells."

Davis tried to keep her temper in check and asked, "Very well then. If it's possible for you to remember can you tell me what it was that got you interested in Captain Pittman in the first place. You have some notes here in your file about drinking so I can understand if you can't remember."

Andie leaned in and said, "You want to know what attracted me to him, why don't you go find him and take a peak at what he's got between his legs. That should answer the question for you."

That was the last straw for Davis and she went on the offensive, "Did Major Pittman not want to be in the life of you and that child you're carrying? I bet he told you he didn't want anything to do with you and you decided to make him regret not hugging you and saying he'd take care of a whore like you!"

Andrea Graystone bolted upright and went to wrap her hands around Davis' throat. Before she could the door flung open and Scott Tolan ran towards her and got between the two women. Andie tried to fight her way past Scott but it was no use. He pressed her up against the wall and tried to calm her down.

Even though it was her brother-in-law, who was one of the few men in her life she could honestly say she loved, Andie tried to fight him. She punched where she could, kicked where she could, and finally dug her fingernails into his right cheek and scratched as hard as she could. Despite all this, Scott held on tightly and tried to get her to understand that she didn't want to go after Rhoda Davis.

Finally with her anger spent she slumped against the wall and Scott slightly relaxed his grip on her. He looked at her, his blue eyes seemingly searching for a sign of where her mind was at.

There was a trail of blood on his cheek, and Andie realized that it was her doing

"Oh my Gods, I'm sorry Scott!" She exclaimed, feeling guilty for what she had done.

"Forget about that, are you alright?" Scott asked, ignoring the pain that radiated from his ribs and collarbone. He wasn't concerned about his face or even his other injuries. At this point he knew Andie was hurting more and he needed to be there for her.

"I'll be fine; I just need to get away from this place. How did you get here so fast?"

"I was in the adjoining room observing the interrogation. I told the agent there with me that if you were pressed too hard you would lash out."

She put a hand on his left cheek, "Thank you Scott…are you sure you can forgive me?"

"There's nothing to forgive, you're not the first woman to try to injure me." Scott said before releasing his grip on her.

He was glad to see that she didn't try to make a move towards Davis, but now it time to turn his attention towards her.

"What the frak did you think you were doing?" Scott said to her, the harshness in his voice hard to miss.

"She is the main suspect in a case of ours, I was trying to see if she was innocent or not." Davis said, not wanting to give an inch of ground.

Tolan took a step away from Andie, and walked to the other side of the room where Davis as standing. She was joined by Lyndon Ewing, the agent who was with Tolan in the Observation Room watching the interrogation.

As Scott got closer to where they were standing Ewing got between him and Davis. Scott didn't miss a beat; he grabbed Ewing by the shoulder and easily pushed him out of the way. He then got to Davis and his face was inches from hers.

"You insulted her, questioned her honor, impugned her character, and insinuated that she is prone to violence. You were doing a lot of thing, but interrogating damn sure wasn't one of them!" He didn't hide the anger; he could care less at this point.

"I am doing my job, and that is to determine if a suspect is guilty or innocent. You can either let me do my job or you can target a couple of nukes on the Olympica and blow us all up. I think that would be a familiar idea to you _Admiral_ Tolan." Rhoda Davis had managed to make 'Admiral' sound an awful lot like 'Frak you!' and she had even brought up the incident months earlier when Tolan had threatened to destroy the liner.

"I'm taking her back with me when I leave here, and you are no longer allowed to question her. In fact, if you come near her at all you will regret it…on that you have my word. You and Mr. Ewing can investigate the attack on Captain Pittman all you want but leave Major Graystone out of this. Do you understand?" Tolan wasn't going to leave any reason argument.

"Now listen…" Davis began to stay but Tolan cut her off.

"All I want to hear from you is either a 'Yes' or 'No', and think carefully about your answer. You're dealing with a flag officer of the Colonial Fleet. I have the rank, authority, and the balls to make your life miserable if I so desire!" His piercing gaze seemed to be unnerving Davis quite a bit.

"Yes." She said, realizing how futile it was to argue.

"A wise answer Miss Davis, now when you have a viable suspect you be sure to let me know." Tolan said before turning and walking back over to where Andie was.

Davis and Ewing watched as he whispered something to her before taking her by the hand and leading her out of the room. Davis couldn't help but notice Tolan wince with pain before he left the room. She reasoned that Andrea Graystone must have hit him harder than anyone had realized, or else the admiral had an injury that he was trying to hide.

"Well Rhoda that could have gone better." Ewing said aloud, wondering if their boss was going to hear it. The head of _Olympica's_ Security Department was a man by the name of Isaac Clemons, a retired Colonial Bureau of Investigation agent who had been hired by the Colonial Line to keep the _Olympica_ safe.

"Ewing I had heard that Admiral Tolan could be a real bastard." Davis said. She could shake the feeling she had. She was more than embarrassed by the way the interrogation had turned out.

"Tell me then, do those rumors do him justice?" Ewing asked.

"No, he's even more of a bastard then the rumors had said. I wonder what his wife is going to say about this."

"Probably not a lot, she's in a coma on the _Solace_." Ewing saw the confused look on Davis' face and realized she had no idea what he was talking about. "Emily Tolan was on the _Olympica_ during the riots and was injured. She sustained severe head trauma and has been in a coma since."

"Judging by the way he looks at the Major I wonder what she'd say about them being so close."

"You didn't read up on the rest of her file did you?"

Davis shook her head, "Just the part of her military service, I didn't think family information was all that important."

"Alright then I get to fill you in. Emily Tolan's maiden name was Graystone…" He saw a light of recognition in Davis' eyes, "She is two years younger than her siblings…Andrea and Andre Graystone."

"Andrea Graystone is Scott Tolan's sister-in-law, no wonder he was so protective of her." Davis said, somewhat understanding the admiral's actions. He was still a bastard though.

**Leonis: **

_**Svalin**_**: **

"Admiral I'm receiving a report from the Aegis, they've had to abort the jump." Reported Lt. Zachary Sullivan, the _Svalin's_ Tactical Officer.

"Have you received a report on exactly what the problem is?" Kronus asked as he watched the clock for the jump suddenly stop counting down.

"There was a stress fracture in one of the magnetic coils of the FTL drive. The Chief is on the task but there is no telling how long it will take."

"Very well Mr. Sullivan, send word that all ships are to stay at Condition One in case the Cylons show up." Kronus said as he watched the jump countdown come to a sudden stop.

"We have an unknown contact!" Sullivan declared.

Kronus looked up at the DRADIS and saw at the contact marked at the edge of the screen.

"Can you identify it Mr. Sullivan?" Kronus asked. He had to wonder if it was friendly or otherwise.

"Admiral I'm receiving a message…" Ensign Kristen Richardson announced.

"Put it on the loudspeaker Miss Richardson." Kronus ordered.

"This is the Colonial Army transport _Gelanor_. We request immediate identification or else you will be considered a hostile force." The male voice didn't sound afraid, which wasn't unexpected.

"Send out recognition codes, the last thing we need is to scare them off. When that's done I want to send a raptor over to bring their commanding officer here." Kronus then said to himself, 'General Maxwell is going to love this…"

_**Melete: **_

Chief Macias' office was located on the starboard side of the hangar deck, and while it wasn't as large as those on the battlestars. It was still one of the bigger rooms on the hangar deck, though there had been some alterations made once the escort battlestar was turned into a training vessel.

There had been four large metal bookcases installed to accommodate the files of the trainees. There had simply been no other place for them, and Macias felt that he needed to set an example for the rest of his deck gang. If he was willing to make a sacrifice, such as giving up office space so that there could be a place for the files to be stored, then it might encourage those under him to give up something for the better good. Another change to the room was the small distillery he added back when he was first assigned to the _Melete_.

He was joined by four of the technicians from his deck gang. Specialists Larry Carson, Quentin Romero, Salvador Duran, and Meagan Prince were standing by the Chief's desk discussing the recent events involving Commander Hendrix.

"Chief do you think Hendrix really lives up to his nickname?" Duran asked.

"That depends Sal, which one of them; the Gods know he's earned more than one." Macias asked after taking a drink of the bootleg alcohol he had recently made.

"I was thinking 'Mad Dog'; I don't think there's anything 'Iron' about Luke Hendrix." Duran said, prompting an outburst of laughter from everyone in the room.

"Just between us, there are times when I would take a transfer to one of those patrol frigates or even just resign from the Fleet if I could get away with it." Macias said.

They heard shouting coming closer to the door, and they realized that it was Hendrix. Macias told the four specialists to hide behind the last of the bookshelves, and he tried to look like he was busy at work.

The door swung open hard, and then a very drunk Luke Hendrix stormed through. Slamming the door behind him he proceeded over to the desk.

"What do you think you're doing?" Hendrix asked, slurring the words slightly.

"I'm going over the duty rotation for the specialists, I thought that…" Macias said before Hendrix cut him off.

"That's your problem Macias; you're thinking when you should know that you're not smart enough to think!" Hendrix said before adding, "I have no room on my ship for a piece of trash like you. You had the nerve to humiliate me in front of Bolton like that; you made me look like an idiot!"

"You need no help from me sir." Macias mumbled to himself.

"What did you just say?" Hendrix demanded angrily.

"I was commenting that there is no way I can get my work done with you taking me away from my duties."

"You aren't going to have any duties; I am kicking you off my ship!" Hendrix said, pointing a shaky finger at Macias.

"Fine then, I have better things to do with my time. I won't have to waste my life serving under an asshole like you!" Macias said, losing his temper.

"Nobody quits on me!" Hendrix howled as he reached and grabbed Macias by his shirt and lifted him out of his chair.

"Put me down Mad Dog!" Macias demanded.

"Nobody calls me 'Mad Dog', I am 'Iron' Luke Hendrix you ungrateful frak!" Hendrix shouted as he slammed Macias into the backside of the first iron bookcase.

The bookcase began to wobble, with all that had been going on recently nobody had bothered to bolt it and the others securely to the floor. There was a split second to act; if they didn't get out of the way then they would both be crushed by the falling object.

All Hendrix had to do was pull him and Macias backwards. However that wasn't what took place. Hendrix gave Macias a shove backwards and then jumped out of the way. A split-second later the bookcase toppled over. Macias crushed between the falling bookcase and the one behind it. The crashed caused a domino effect, taking down the third and fourth as well. The four specialists jumped out from their hiding spot and were face to face with a shocked Luke Hendrix.

"It was…an accident…" Hendrix stammered, realizing he had just murdered a man. "He tripped and fell against the bookcase; there was no way for him to get out.

"You're a liar!" Meagan Prince shouted, while the other three looked wide-eyed at the commander.

"I have…to go…don't tell a word to anyone, it was an accident…" Hendrix stammered and left the room.

After a few minutes of stunned silence the four specialists managed to alert the medical personnel that Chief Macias had been injured. They were faced with the dilemma of what to say happened. If they told the truth then there was the chance that Hendrix would retaliate against them. If they didn't tell the truth then they might enable him to do whatever he wanted with the next Chief.

Hendrix walked back to his quarters wondering just what he had done. He had gone to confront Macias and scare the man, but he hadn't meant to kill the man. In his alcohol-induced fog he couldn't understand why he pushed the man into the path of the falling bookcases instead of pulling him to safety. Eventually it became clear to him that there was no way the four witnesses would stay quiet. He was going to have to do something about them…

**Lampetia Shipyard **

_**Sphinx: **_

The Lampetia Shipyard had yielded a king's ransom of material so far. Apart from the _Xanthus_, there was the discovery of the four old light cruisers stored away in a small part of the shipyard that the Cylons hadn't destroyed. The wrecked ships would serve to provide the needed resources to repair and update the damaged battlestars. Commander Travis Omega pondered just how long they would have to stay here. The possibility of the Cylons discovering them weighed heavily on his mind.

"How many more trips do you think we're going to need until we're finished?" Omega asked Colonel Chad Steele.

"With the three dry docks making the rounds we should have two or three at most. Lucky for us they're big enough to carry large amounts of equipment and salvaged materials." Steele said. He was looking over the list of recovered ships and other miscellaneous objects.

"We've already made our one trip. The tow line was strong enough to survive the FTL jump to Cosmora. I want to speed up our work here; the sooner we're back in the safety of the Pallas Nebula the better I'll feel." Omega said.

Steele nodded his agreement, "I understand that sir, and I'll get the dock crews to work faster. It shouldn't be too much of a problem."

**Two Hours Later: **

**Hector Alonzo's Baseship: **

Hector and Sasha lay in bed ignoring the knock on the door. They were too wrapped up in their conversation to care who was there.

"What are you going to do when we get to Cosmora?" Sasha asked.

"I'll show just how much of a humanitarian I am. I'll offer Tolan, Kronus, or whoever I negotiate with the chance to surrender. I'll order the Colonial Fleet to come out of the nebula, formally surrender to us, and inter their ships at the anchorage of the Cylons' choosing." Hector said, smiling broadly at the thought of humiliating his nemesis.

"That would be so benevolent of you, and at the same time show just how powerful you are." Sasha purred into his ear before nibbling on it a little.

"You keep that up and you're going to start another round." Hector said to her, as she gave him a sly grin.

He decided to tell her the rest of his plan, "Most of the crew can return to the civilian ships, but I will put all of the officers on trial. Some of them have to answer for the crimes they committed against me and my lawful government."

Sasha looked confused, "That's a great idea Mr. President, but isn't there a chance that they'll be found innocent?"

"Not with the way I plan to run things, I will ensure that they're found guilty. Not only will it make my government legitimate it will demonstrate what happens when people go against me."

"You are so handsome when you're showing off your power…" Sasha said before kissing his neck.

"Whoever is there at the door, we'll be out in a couple of hours…" Hector said to the person that was knocking. The voice of Daniel Warren announced that he got the message and would be back in a couple of hours.

_**Victorious: **_

The senior staff of the _Victorious_ had assembled in the wardroom. Scott Tolan had called the meeting to discuss the events surrounding the attack on Reese Pittman.

"Before we begin I want us to take a moment to say a prayer for Spartan. We know how tough he is, but a little prayer never hurt." Tolan said to his officers. A quick prayer later it was time to begin the meeting.

"Have you heard any reports from the medical staff on the _Olympica_?" Andre Graystone asked.

Tolan shook his head, "The last report I heard stated that he was in critical condition, but there was no telling if he's going to pull through."

"Who is going to take over as CAG in the meantime? I'd offer to but I know I can't because of the pregnancy." Andrea Graystone stated. Even though she was still on leave, Tolan felt that she might be able to add something extra to the meeting.

"I am going over a list of candidates right now. We have the leaders from the other three viper squadron. Lieutenants Kevin Jones, Tyler Bibb, and Alicia Baldwin are being given heavy consideration. I'm also taking a look at Larsen Banks; he has a higher rank even though he is a raptor pilot. However I plan to have a decision soon." Tolan said. After he said this the others at the table nodded their agreement.

"Admiral, there's been an increase in communications traffic from the _Balius_ to the other Eastern Alliance ships. Word of the attack reached them though I can't really say what they are planning." Jessica Jennings said.

"Knowing my father…" Stadra Ah-Mun began, "He's probably worried that one of his people might have attacked Captain Pittman. I have a feeling he may try to close ranks in case…"

Andre was the first to notice her suddenly cut off her sentence, "In case of what?"

Stadra took a deep breath, "In case he needs to defend himself from an attack of the Colonial Fleet."

From there the meeting proceeded without incident and Tolan dismissed them for the time being. As the officers made their way down the corridor Andre Graystone walked up to Stadra.

"I wanted to check on you, see how you're holding up." Andre said. The concern in his voice was evident.

"I'm having a conflict…" Stadra admitted before adding, "I have my loyalty to my father and yet I took an oath to the Fleet. I worry that I might have to choose between the two."

Andre put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "We'll deal with that when the time comes."

She smiled at him, "What is this 'we' you speak of? I thought this was something I'd have to work out on my own."

"You don't have to go it alone Stadra, I'll be there to help you if you need it."

"Thank you Andre, you're quite the gentleman."

"I try, though I've been known to fall short every now and then." He thought for a second then asked her to join him in the mess hall for some food. To his relief she said she would and they separated from the group they were walking with.

_**Olympica: **_

Alton Mathis had an hour to make something happen. The attack on the officer had gone perfectly, but there was no mention of the Eastern Alliance being blamed for it. That was disappointing enough. He had received word from Magnus Ah-Mun that he and the rest of the Alliance members were to leave _Olympica_ within the hour. There had to be a way to make his plan come all the way to fruition. He realized that he had forgotten to leave his dagger with the body of the officer he had attacked.

Mathis mentally slapped himself upside the head for leaving out that all-important detail. He began to pace nervously, and he knew what had to be done. There was going to be another attack before he left. He began heading towards the Grand Staircase, there had to be a Colonial Fleet Officer somewhere in the ideal location for an attack.

_**Victorious: **_

Andrea Graystone had left the room with the rest of the officers, but turned around to check on Scott. When she walked into the wardroom she saw her brother-in-law deep in thought as he looked at the papers in front of him.

"Did you know that you stick out your bottom lip just a bit when you're thinking hard?" She was standing close to the table; Scott hadn't even noticed her walking in.

Despite being slightly startled Scott didn't miss a beat as he looked up at her. "Sorry Andie, I didn't hear you walk in. I thought you'd want to catch up with everyone else. You hadn't seen a lot of us since you've been on the Solace."

She shrugged her shoulders, "There's plenty of time till I return. Gianne is staying with Emily and the kids. I can visit with my friends later. I just wanted to check on you first."

"Thanks, I'm going to be fine. It's not that different from anything I've dealt with over the past seven months."

She walked up to him and placed a hand on his cheek where she had scratched it earlier, "Thank you for being there for me, if only the other men I've had in my life were half the man you are."

Tolan let out a small laugh, "What does that mean about Spartan?"

The mention of Spartan seemed to cause a change in her. It was as though she had been wearing a mask since they left the _Olympica_. Her eyes seemed to water and her lips began to tremble a bit.

"Trying not to think about it too much?" Scott asked. He was mentally kicking himself for bringing it up. During the meeting with the officers was one thing, but this was a one-on-one conversation they were having.

Andie didn't say anything right away, though she nodded and tried to turn away from him.

Scott got out of the chair and walked over to where she was standing. He put his hands on her shoulders and turned her around so that she was facing him. The tears were flowing from her eyes now, and he took his hands from her shoulders and used them to wipe the two streams off of her face.

"I've been trying to hide it…it's just…Gods what am I going to do?" Andie asked with a voice that matched the storm of emotions that had let loose inside of her.

"You're going to take it one day at a time. Whatever comes along we'll just have to cross that bridge when we get there."

Andie let herself fall against Scott's body. When he wrapped his arms around her and gave her a reassuring hug she said, "You know as well as I do what I'm going through, how have you made it through Emily's injury?"

"It hasn't been easy. I have work to keep me busy, but it doesn't replace her. Even when I was deployed I received messages from her and other things that reminded me of the woman I had waiting for me when I got home. It's those little things I miss…"He realized he was getting off topic then said, "I stay optimistic that she'll get better and pray that the Gods will help me to keep it together. There's too many people counting on me, I can't afford to have too many moments of weakness."

"The more you talk to me like this, the more likely I am to talk to you when I get to feeling like this." Andie said as she tried to pull herself together and get her tears under control.

Scott leaned down and kissed her on her head, "You'd better!"

He put a finger under chin and pulled her face up to where he could see it. He couldn't help but be struck by the physical similarities between her and Emily. Even though they were quite different, physically it was obvious to any observer that the two women were sisters. For starters they both had the same shade of red to their silky hair. Andie's hair had grown to be about medium length. Before the riots Emily's hair had gone down to about the middle of her back, and she wore it in a very dignified style. The biggest physical difference would have been their eyes. Andie had mesmerizing almond-shaped gray eyes. When she was angry or upset it was like looking into a storm. Emily had round blue eyes that were an incredible shade of blue.

"Are you alright Scott?" Andie asked, wondering why he had gotten so quiet all of a sudden.

"Sorry, I was looking at you and I couldn't help but think of…"He didn't need to finish the thought. She knew where he was going.

"I guess it's rough for you, considering how closely I look like her." Andie wasn't bothered by the fact. It was close to how being on the _Victorious_ reminded her of Reese.

"Sometimes I'm reminded of her and I find myself missing her even more…"

Andie stood up on her tiptoes and kissed Scott on the cheek, "Know that I'm here for you as much as you're here for me."

Scott hesitated before telling her, "If I need to talk to anyone you're the first person I'll go to."

"I'd better be!" Andie finally began to smile, and slowly that mask she had been wearing came back over her face.

"Go visit your friends, I'm going to go meet with our new CAG."

Andie left the room first; she turned her head towards Scott and gave him one last smile before walking off.

Scott went back to the papers on his desk, gathering up the papers and trying to refocus his mind again. His mind was racing with memories from his life with Emily. He was remembering how they met for the first time at the beach, their first date, the way he had proposed to her, their honeymoon, more of their honeymoon, the miscarriage when he almost lost her, the birth of the triplets, and many more memories were serving to remind him why he loved his wife so much. They also reminded him of the emptiness in his sole that only she could fill. There was no telling how long she would be in a coma; all he could do was pray that it wasn't for much longer.

He put the papers together and left the room, he was about to go to tell Captain Larsen "Magic" Banks that he was being promoted to CAG while Spartan was out of commission.

_**Svalin: **_

Major General Alice Hyde sat at the carved oak table in the flag quarters of the _Svalin_. Across from her was Admiral John Kronus. It was decided that the meeting would be a simple one-on-one affair. General Hyde was about fourteen years younger than Kronus. Her short silver hair went well with the green eyes that spoke volumes of the years she had spent in a position of authority. Her thin frame had a regal quality to it that Kronus couldn't help but appreciate.

"General I have to ask first, exactly how were you able to avoid the Cylons?" Kronus asked. It was inconceivable that anyone had survived this long.

"As you have gathered from the information I sent over, the 86th Expeditionary Division was sent to investigate Tauron and Eastern Alliance smuggling. It was rumored that the main base was on the moon of Lerna in the Mestra Sector. We went on radio silence so that we wouldn't be detected. We hid our transport behind one of the other moons and waited for the Taurons or the Alliance to show up."

Kronus then asked, "Did you ever find proof of this smuggling ring?"

Hyde shook her head, "There was no sign of anyone out there. We eventually got tired of waiting and went in to investigate. We found some abandoned buildings but nothing else. I couldn't help but wonder if we had been given faulty intelligence."

"Now I would like to know how you knew about our location here at Leonis."

"Not long after we had broken radio silence we received a message from Fort Rhesus. The message stated that there were Colonial Fleet personnel on the planet, and there appeared to be a fleet in orbit. That was enough for them to leave the fallout bunker to make contact with your people. The message was sent on the message frequency the Army uses, there was no way for them to know that we were still alive."

"That's quite the story, though could you tell me how many soldiers you have on your transport?"

"I have twenty thousand soldiers under my command."

"Why would the Ministry of Defense request that many soldiers just for a simple mission like the one you were on?"

"Because there was no telling how many enemy combatants we would encounter if the information we received panned out. It was decided to use a strong show of force, and there is strength in numbers when dealing with a worse-case scenario."

Kronus' eyes lit up with excitement at the thought of the possibilities that Hyde's soldiers could be used for, "In that case I'd say your arrival is a blessing from the Gods!"

She gave him a quizzical look, "I think you may want to explain that to me."

"Of course, allow me to tell you about the moon of Ostarsis…"


	11. Chapter 11: The Coming Darkness

**Leonis:**

_**Svalin:**_

**Twelve Minutes Later:**

General Hyde seemed intrigued by the Ostarsis Mission, but didn't have much to contribute otherwise. She asked Kronus if he had a problem with her returning to her ship for some rest. He gave her his permission, and then waited until he heard Commander Arrington report to him that the General had left the _Svalin_.

"Commander, I have a request for you." Kronus said, looking at the sheet of paper he had written down the notes from his meeting with Hyde.

"Of course Admiral, what can I do for you?"

"I want you and Lt. Sullivan to dig through the Ministry of Defense database and see if you can verify the story General Hyde told me."

"Yes sir," Arrington said with a confused voice, "Do you have a reason to think that she might be lying to you?"

"Not really, I'm going on gut instinct on this one. I couldn't help but feel as though she's holding something back, and if she is then I intend to find it out. Also, I want to know which ship has the group of rescued Colonial Army soldiers. When you find that out send them to meet with me."

Arrington told him that she would have it done as quickly as possible. After hanging up the receiver he walked over to the small bar located at the far end of the room. He filled his glass with water and took a drink. He was wondering what would happen once they returned to the Eastern Alliance base and gave General Maxwell the news of the soldiers they had discovered. He was partly amused and frightened at a pissing contest between the Army and the Marines.

_**Victorious:**_

Scott Tolan navigated his way through Officer's Country, located on the same level of the ship as the officer's wardroom, to the cabin that Larsen Banks shared with Jamie Hamilton. He knocked on the door and a few moments later Tolan was face-to-face with a very tired looking Magic.

"Admiral, what can I do for you?" Banks asked before yawning.

"Careful Magic, don't you know that's contagious?" Tolan said half jokingly.

"The medics gave Jamie a sedative so she's going to be out for a while."

Tolan gave an understanding nod, "I was worried about her. Don't worry though; I'll make sure she gets all the help she'll need."

"Thank you…" Magic said before changing the topic, "Is that the reason you came to see me?"

Tolan shook his head, "No I actually have some news to give you."

Magic stepped to the side and motioned for Tolan to come in. Once they were inside (the room with the door closed), Tolan sat down and handed Magic the report he had been holding, "This will give you all the information you need to know."

Tolan studied Magic's face as he read the report. He didn't say a word as he saw the man's expression change as he took in the information on the pages.

"Cubit for your thoughts?" Tolan said when Magic finished reading and sat down the report he had been given.

"This is one of those times when I'm actually speechless…it's horrible what happened to Spartan…then you have Andie being accused of the crime. I know she can be a bit reckless but she's no killer…" Magic was lost in thought but he finally asked, "What does this have to do with me?"

"You're my new CAG." Tolan said.

"I'm your new…" Magic's mind then fully processed what he had been told, "I'm the CAG?"

"You think I would come in here and lie to you about something like that?"

"No sir. What about Jones, Bibb, or Baldwin? I only have a basic understanding of how to pilot a viper. They're the leaders of our other three squadrons." Magic wasn't doing that great of a job at hiding his disbelief.

"They are Lieutenants, while you're a Captain. After Spartan you're the highest-ranking pilot on this ship. You'll do fine, after all your call sign is 'Magic'."

"You know the only reason I got that name was because my squadron commander on the _Columbia _thought I was a lucky charm."

Tolan reached over and gave Magic a pat on the shoulder, "Perhaps it's time for you to be your own lucky charm." He saw the look on the young man's face and had a good idea as to what he was thinking, "I wouldn't have made you my CAG if I didn't think you were up to the challenge. Get that thought out of your head."

Magic looked awestruck, "How did you know I was thinking that?"

"I'll give credit for that to Dr. Hood's Psychology class." Tolan said before turning around and leaving the room. His body began to let him know that he needed to head to his quarters and get some sleep.

**Ostarsis:**

"How are you doing Angie?" Lamont Evans asked as he walked into the room.

"I'm fine Lamont, thank you for asking." Angela Rigel said distractedly. She was sitting on the side of her bed looking down at the number tattooed on her arm. The Cylons had given that to her when she had first arrived on Ostarsis. The end of her processing involved the tattooing of the prisoner number on the underside of her forearm.

"If you need to talk to someone you have either the Commander or me. I just heard that Cornell's men just rescued a group of our Marines from one of the prison camps."

"That's great news…" Rigel was silent for a few moments then asked, "Which ones were rescued?"

"Leta Barrett, Lakeisha Cooley, Tyler Hamilton, Blake Mack, and Avery Bond" Evans said. He couldn't help but notice that Rigel didn't quite seem like herself. A part of him wondered if the past seven months were starting to get to her.

"I'm going to get some rest and then I'll meet with them. Thank you." She kept her eyes focused on her prisoner number. There was a part of her that hated the sight of it and the other part saw it as a symbol of all she had survived.

"You're welcome; if you need anything let me know." He left the room and closed the door behind him. He couldn't shake the feeling that there might be something wrong with Angela Rigel. Maybe it had to do with the discovery of her great-grandfather's battlestar, the Achilles, but he hoped she would be able to move past whatever it was that was bothering her. If it didn't he might have to mention it to Commander Woods and see what would happen.

_**Victorious:**_

"So let me get this straight…" Andre Graystone said, "Your sorority roommate was a gymnast and one night you and your sisters got her drunk. Once this was done you had her do back flips to see how many she could do while drunk."

Stadra Ah-Mun's face turned a bit red with embarrassment, "Yeah we thought it was something that we'd all get a laugh out of."

"Sounds like you didn't get the laugh out of it you thought."

"Well actually it was funnier than we had intended, but we never did it again." She leaned in and asked, "I've told you a drunken story from my youth now it's your turn."

"I think that as the XO I don't have to say anything relating to this topic." He jokingly told her.

"Oh that… well did you know that Admiral Tolan said I was the most powerful person on this ship." She couldn't help but grin.

"I can't wait to hear this."

"It was earlier in the day before he found out about the attack on Captain Pittman. There was a reporter onboard by the name of Vincent Pearson. He saw the admiral and asked him how it felt to be the most powerful person on the _Victorious_."

"Knowing Scott the way I do, I'm sure he had a great response to that."

Stadra nodded, "He told her, 'There is an ensign on this ship by the name of Stadra Ah-Mun. Every morning she hands me a sheet of paper that tells me what I'm going to be doing every fifteen minutes. In my opinion that makes her the most powerful person on the _Victorious_.'"

They both started laughing, the sound reverberating off the walls of the Officer's Mess.

"Well then Ensign Ah-Mun, I bow before the most powerful person on the Battlestar _Victorious_." Andre said, raising his arms up and doing a mock bow with his upper body.

"Thank you Andre." Stadra said. Her expression had suddenly turned serious.

"What's there to thank me for, why the sudden drop in formality?"

"Because this isn't Ensign Ah-Mun thanking Colonel Graystone, this is Stadra thanking Andre. This time that we've been talking…I've been able to forget about the worries on my mind and be a normal person."

_**Melete:**_

Hendrix had mulled the decision for hours trying to find a way out of his dilemma. He had just murdered a man, and the fact that it was done in a drunken rage didn't do anything to make it more acceptable.

'Iron' Luke Hendrix was sitting in his quarters squeezing his hand grips furiously. He thought he had an idea, but wasn't sure if it was something he needed to do. It took a few more minutes of deep thought before he accepted the reality of his situation. He was going to have to silence the four technicians before they could bring him down.

**_Helios:_**

Chris Alonzo stepped off the raptor and onto the hangar deck with a feeling of uncertainty. He was relieved that Carter had burned the photographs but he couldn't get over the man's actions. It was as though the admiral was expecting him to fail now that he didn't have anything hanging over his head.

He had mentioned to Breeze that he would meet her in the Officer's Club for drinks when he returned from the Atlantia. He wasn't sure if he would do that now or later, there was part of him that wanted nothing more than to get some rack time. He also wanted to tell his mom about Lacey Tolan. Even though his dad was hated by Admiral Tolan, he hoped that wouldn't get in the way of a relationship with the man's cousin. One day in the near future he would have to work up the nerve to have that conversation with him.

He walked by the area of the hangar reserved for the viper squadron he belonged to. The deck gang was at work with the scheduled maintenance. He noticed Specialist First Class Emmett Rivers applying a plaque to the side where his nameplate would have been. His curiosity got the better of him and he walked to where his viper was at.

"What do you have going on here Rivers?" He asked as he glanced up and saw what the old man was doing.

Where it had originally read 'Lt. Christopher Alonzo/ School Boy' now read 'Lt. Christopher Alonzo/ Adonis'. Chris smiled at the change, it looked a lot better in his not so humble opinion.

"I see that smile Lieutenant, but you'd best be careful." Rivers said. He had served in the Colonial Fleet for forty-one years and was heading to retirement once the weapons tests had been completed. Sakura, with Tolan's blessing, had offered him a chance to retire and live on the Olympica. He had refused, claiming that he would stay in the fight for as long as he was needed.

"Why's that?" Chris asked curiously.

"There is something about changing a name. It works the same for ships as it does for pilots. There was an escort battlestar back during the First Cylon War. When launched it was named the _Isis_. At the time there was a new class of battlestars being built and it was decided to use the name_ 'Isis'_ for the class. Because of that the name of the ship was changed from _'Isis' _to _'Eris'_." Rivers paused to see if he still had Chris Alonzo's attention.

When he was certain that he did he continued the story, "So the _Eris _is deployed to provide viper support for the warstars during this attack on a Cylon tylium refinery in the Octavio Sector. Not long after the battle begins a Cylon raider is shot by one of the vipers and it does a suicide dive onto the _Eris_. The raider manages to crash into one of the fuel tanks on the top part of the hull. A one-in-a-million shot but it happens, and because of that the _Eris_ exploded and took all hands with her."

Chris said, "Interesting story Rivers but what does that have to do with me?"

Rivers finished attaching the nameplate then got down from his ladder.

"The fact is Lieutenant it is considered bad luck to change the name of a ship or a pilot, and when that happens there is something unfortunate that will take place. I just wanted you know that since you agreed with the name change."

Chris patted Rivers on the shoulder, "Thanks for the concern but I'll make sure that I don't get blown up by a Cylon raider."

He was walking away from his viper when he heard someone shouting his name. He turned around and saw Admiral Kimmel running towards him.

He snapped a salute then asked, "What can I do for you sir?"

Kimmel returned the salute then said, "I need you to pilot a raptor for me. There have been threats made against the lives of your mom, your sister, and yourself."

"Of course sir, but who made these threats?" Chris asked, more worried about his family than himself.

"A group on the _Olympica_, they lost loved ones in the riots and blame your father for it. We need to get them off of the ship and then take them to a safe location."

Chris nodded, "Let's get moving then, I don't want anything to happen to them!"

**Three Hours Later:**

**Hector Alonzo's Baseship:**

Hector and Sasha were in the process of getting dressed when there was another knock on the door to his room.

"I'm beginning to think that Daniel might be some sort of stalker." Sasha said, in the process of putting on her bra.

Hector had just finished zipping up the front of his suit pants, "The Cylons seem fond of using him as an errand boy. At least it gives him something to do, even if he's really nosey."

They both laughed and finished getting dressed. When they opened the door they were met with a very excited Daniel Warren.

"Come with me Mr. President, your family is here on the ship!"

Hector was puzzled, "What are you talking about Mr. Warren?"

"The Cylons brought your wife and kids from Tolan's fleet. They arrived about nine minutes ago."

"That's great, but how did they pull it off?"

"Their admiral convinced them to join him in a raptor. He said he was taking them someplace safe to protect them from a militant faction that was hostile towards you. He then brought them to the ship and their now with us."

They walked in silence through the many corridors of the baseship. Finally they arrived in what appeared to be some sort of waiting room.

Gloria and Louise were sitting on a sofa, and Chris was nowhere to be seen.

"Daddy!" Louise exclaimed as she ran up to Hector with her arms raised up. He picked her up and held her to him.

"It's great to see you my dear, your daddy's missed you!" He kissed her on her cheek and put her back on the floor.

He noticed Gloria was standing but the look on her face held none of the warmth and joy that Louise had.

"Gloria, I know this is a lot to take in…" He said as he walked up to her. He didn't get to finish as her left hand smacked him across his cheek.

"You bastard!" She yelled at him, seemingly uncaring about the fact that her seven year-old daughter had to witness this outburst of anger.

"I understand you're upset Gloria, but this is for the best. I did this all for you…"

"Don't you dare! This is just like everything else you've done since we've been married. It's always going to be about you. It will never be about Chris, Louise, and it sure won't be me…no it's always about the great Hector Alonzo!" She wasn't holding back her anger though Hector figured she was probably acting out of fear as well.

"In time you'll see that I did the best thing for you and the kids…" Hector had a sudden epiphany…"Where is Chris, wasn't he brought here as well?"

"Three wanted to question him about the Colonial Fleet. He has knowledge of Tolan's fleet that maybe of use." The voice belonged to a dark-skinned man who stepped into the room.

Hector looked and realized that this was the admiral in Tolan's fleet and he knew exactly who he was.

"Oh my…" was all he could bring himself to say.

Hector finally realized what was going on. Chris was now an officer in the Colonial Fleet, and that made him a military asset. It would only be natural that he'd be questioned…

"I don't think that's necessary. He's not that high on the list of officers and I doubt they'd even let him know vital information." He said to Kimmel. He realized that he had to try to keep Chris from being hurt.

"The seven of us have already talked it out and the vote was unanimous for interrogation." Kimmel said as he walked up and put his hands on Hector's shoulders. "If your son is smart he'll give us the information and no harm will come to him. Three won't go further than she has to in order to get information. When she has finished talking to him he will see things in a different light."

"You don't understand. He had no desire to join the Fleet that was all my doing to try to get some votes in case I had to run in another election. Can't you just leave him alone and wait to capture another pilot?"

Kimmel shook his head, "I'm sorry but it's already begun and Three won't stop until she's taken the information that she is looking for." With that said Kimmel turned and walked away followed by William Arnold.

Hector couldn't help but feel guilty. He had led his only son into a dangerous situation, and the fact that he was an officer in the Colonial Fleet didn't help him.

_**Melete:**_

Luke Hendrix had ordered Specialists Larry Carson, Quentin Romero, Salvador Duran, and Meagan Prince to meet him in Flare Locker One to assist him with what he had described as a routine inspection. The four members of the deck gang had been leery of being alone with him, considering his actions that resulted in the death of Chief Macias. Despite their feelings he was their commanding officer and they were essentially bound to follow his orders.

They walked together to the flare locker and found that Hendrix was already there waiting for them.

"About earlier with the Chief…" Hendrix said with an attempt to appear sorry about what had happened.

"While we were trying to decide what to do his body was found by Valens. We haven't had the chance to give a statement yet…" Prince said keeping her eyes locked with Hendrix's.

"I know what you think you saw, but it really didn't happen the way you might have imagined it." Hendrix said. He wanted to make sure that they would just let Macias' death be assumed an unfortunate accident.

Romero spoke up, "You murdered him and there's no way we'll let you off the hook for that. You're a tyrant as far as we're concerned."

Hendrix bowed his head and slowly shook it back and forth, "You're right Romero. Justice needs to be served here and I have to take responsibility for my actions. Since we're already here let's get this locker inspection done and then I'll turn myself into the Master-At-Arms. Fair enough?"

The four specialists looked at him as though he was a liar; they had no intention of doing anything for him.

"I swear on the souls of my kids, as soon as we finish this I will turn myself to face a court-martial." Hendrix appealed to them, hoping they'd believe his sincerity.

They were facing a decision here as to whether or not to believe Hendrix. There was the realization that there had been video cameras installed in the forward flare locker of Hangar Bay 1 during the last refit when the Melete had been converted into a training ship. This had taken place before Hendrix had taken command, during the shakedown cruise the Melete had been commanded by the well-liked Commander Josiah Fisher.

They huddled and discussed their options. If they refused to go along with Hendrix then he could charge them with mutiny and they'd face the death penalty. They hoped that if something happened to them the cameras would catch Hendrix in the act.

"Alright Commander, we'll do this for you and then you are going to turn yourself in to the proper authorities." Salvador stated.

"As I said before, I swear on the souls of my children."

Hendrix then opened the door to the flare locker and he motioned for the four to enter. When they were all in he handed them a sheet of paper.

"This is a check list we will have to sign off on while we're doing the inspection. I want you to pair off into pairs and each take one side of the locker. When you're through with that I'll take the rack of flares on the far wall and inspect the crates we have in here. Start at the end and work your way towards the door." Hendrix watched as the four paired off and went to end of the racks at the other side of the locker.

It was then that he put his plan into action; he pulled a magnesium flare out of his uniform jacket and pulled the string. He heard the familiar popping sound and threw it into the locker where it would ignite the rest of the flames.

He quickly shut the door and dogged it so that they would be unable to escape. He heard screams inside and the sound of their fists banging on the door.

"I'm sorry, so very sorry. I just can't let you take my ship away from me."

He heard Prince shout, "You swore on the souls of your children!"

He then said with a very sad voice, "About that…my wife and I never had children."

He then walked off down the corridor making sure that nobody saw him. He had gone up a couple of ladders on the way back to his corridors when he heard the alarm claxons go off.

"Attention all hands, attention all hands. Fire in the Forward Hangar Bay, all damage control teams report immediately. Set Condition One throughout the ship." The voice belonged to Lt. Sanford Alston, the Officer of the Deck.

Hendrix sprinted up to the CIC. He had to take charge and lead his crew. After all it was his ship…

What Hendrix didn't realize is that he had already been caught by one of the ordinance handlers. Amber Hudson hid behind a crate in the corridor leading to the flare locker. She was going to check and see what was going on but when she saw Hendrix pull the flare out and light it she became concerned. She saw him throw it in and close the door. At that point she jumped behind the crate and hid as best she could. Hendrix actually rushed past her but his eyes were so focused ahead that he didn't even notice her.

She ran to the door and could still hear screams though they were sounding weaker. She tried to open the door but Hendrix had jammed it hard and she could feel the heat beginning to radiate from the fire inside. She knew what had to be done. She ran to sound the alarm. Looking behind her, she saw that the fire was beginning to cause the door to glow with its heat. In the back of her mind, Ashley knew the fire was going to melt through the door and begin to spread.

**Hector Alonzo's Baseship:**

Chris Alonzo's brain was fighting to put together any kind of coherent thought; the pain was just so great. The woman began by asking him his name, rank, and the ship he was assigned to. When he mentioned the Helios and the battle group she became more interested. He tried to be as vague with his answers, but all that got him was a jolt from the torture chair he was strapped to.

"Let's move on then lieutenant. Do you know the Tactical Voice Radio Call for the_ Helios_, _Victorious_, and _Sphinx_?" She asked in a very patient tone.

"What makes you think I know that information?" Chris said trying to keep his voice from betraying the pain he was feeling.

"You're a pilot. I'm sure you have some idea what the ships are called. It keeps us evil Cylons from knowing which one you are talking about." She walked behind the chair and stroked his black hair with her hand.

"Even if I knew I would never tell you. You should move on to your next question."

She didn't say anything. All she did was pull hard on his hair and used the chair to send a wave of pain through his body. He screamed loudly but she kept it going longer than she had before. His body writhed and he found himself starting to cry from the agony he was feeling.

"Are you with me Chris?" She asked after putting her mouth close to his right ear.

"Lacey is that you?" He asked with a voice that was weak from the torture.

"Yes Chris it's me, Lacey…I wanted to talk to you." She wanted to play along to see where this would lead. She had read the report from Admiral Kimmel alerting that Scott Tolan's cousin Lacey had been rescued from Picon.

"Anything for you…all you have to do is ask." Chris' voice wasn't anywhere near its usual tone. He seemed almost in another world.

"Scott wanted me to test you, to see if you have been paying attention to the details of the other battlestars."

Chris slowly nodded, "Yeah…ask anything you want."

"He wants the tactical call signs for the battlestars in our group. Can you tell them to me so I can let him know how you're doing in that department?"

"Yeah…I'll tell you the _Helios_, the _Sphinx_, and the _Victorious_ in that order. Will that be ok?"

Three smiled to herself, now she was getting somewhere. "Go ahead Chris, I'm listening."

"Kiss…Myas…Toaster…those are the call signs."

"Kiss…Myas…Toaster, are you certain?" She wanted to make sure before she ended this session.

"You need to say them faster though; it helps to remember them that way…"

Three shrugged and said them faster, "Kiss…Myas…Toaster…"

"Good but you need to say them faster."

Three said them again but this time she realized exactly what he was saying. "Kiss my ass toaster…"

Chris nodded his head, "Very good Lacey, you got it right!" This time when he looked up at her his demeanor was the opposite of what it had been before.

Three walked around and belted him across the face, "Alright then have it you way. You are about to experience pain in a way you never thought possible…" She then turned the power up on the chair and kept it running while she beat him with her fists.

_**Svalin:**_

The more Kronus read the file Arrington sent to him the more he had to wonder about General Alice Helene Hyde of the Colonial Army. The woman was known in the Army for getting results, and she seemed to use whatever means necessary to get the job done. It seemed that under the fine Caprican upbringing was a ruthless side he wouldn't have thought she could possess.

The research had dug up a story set five months before the Cylons had attacked. There had been a huge protest on Sagitarron over the perceived abuses the colony had suffered at the hands of its fellow colonies. President Adar had made it his mission to downsize the Colonial Fleet, and there had been rumors that the other branches would follow suit when the Fleet had been taken care of. Despite this aversion to the military Adar wasn't afraid to use it to enforce his will.

The events in the article occurred in the Sagittaron city of Iambe. Hyde's army group had been sent to put an end to the protests and restore order. She at first attempted to meet with the leader of the protests, a man by the name of Tod Jensen. He had asked her if there had been any terms offered by President Adar to help put an end to the protests. From the accounts of those present, Hyde had made it clear that the only offer to end the protests peacefully was to stop immediately or else risk punitive action.

Kronus took a moment to let it sink in. He then turned his eyes back to the report and read the rest of it. Jensen had rejected Adar's terms and let Hyde know that the protests would continue until the President agreed to meet with him and hear the grievances of him and the other Sagittarons.

The protestors had camped out in front of the Iambe Council Building in the heart of the city. The large numbers had served to disrupt traffic and slow parts of the city to a crawl. At the late hour of the evening most had settled down to rest, and very few were milling about. Nobody took notice of the soldiers being stationed at the street entrances, encircling the protestors and affording them no chance of escape.

General Hyde had told Adar of the meeting with Jensen and he ordered her to remove the protestors by any means necessary. In the early morning hours she did just that. She unleashed the full power of her army on the protestors, leaving over twelve-thousand civilians dead in the wake.

Kronus looked at the pictures that accompanied the report. The press had received orders from President Adar not to print them and they had complied. The photos showed the devastation that had been visited on the Sagittarons; he hadn't seen this kind of carnage since his days in the First Cylon War. He finally put the pictures down and turned his attention to the report underneath.

General Hyde had been assigned to accompany a deep space colony expedition. In the northwest sector of the Cyrannus system near the red line a large habitable planet had been discovered. Adar approved a group of Tauron colonists whose goal was to turn the newly discovered planet into a viable colony. In an attempt to get her out of the public's eye until the anger over Iambe had cooled down, President Adar had selected Hyde to lead her army group with the colonists to provide protection.

At least he knew how she had missed the Cylon attack. Now he needed to get to the bottom of the story, and this time it would be without any of the deceptions she had used on him during their first meeting.

He picked up the phone that was sitting on his desk. Commander Arrington was given her orders once she answered. She was to take four Marines over to the Gelanor and bring General Hyde to him. If she refused then Arrington was to use the Marines to arrest her and transport her to the Svalin.

**Hector Alonzo's Baseship:**

Hector had taken Louise on a tour of the baseship, at least the parts the Cylons had allowed him access to. Now it was just Gloria Alonzo and Sasha Evans. The two women had always been cool to one another. If Gloria had ever known about Sasha's affair with Hector she kept it to herself.

"I see you haven't changed Sasha. You always were the opportunist." Gloria said, her eyes glaring at the younger woman her husband had always had a soft spot for.

"I wouldn't say I'm an opportunist, I just know when to join the winning team."

"So is that why you're busy frakking my husband? I hate to break it to you but he's not on a winning team right now."

Sasha laughed, "He's working with the Cylons. Trust me when I tell you he's on the winning team right now."

Gloria walked closer to where Sasha was standing, "Have you forgotten what they did? They killed our friends and family, not to mention they were trying to kill us!"

Sasha shrugged her shoulders, "I can get past that. I'm looking at the big picture, the Cylons have the power and we should be trying to work with them instead of dying in a useless struggle." She thought for a second then asked, "Do you know why I'm even having this 'affair' with Hector?"

"Because you're a woman who can't keep her legs closed for any man who comes her way, Gods how sorry I felt for your husband. He was way too good for you." Gloria thought she saw a flash of anger in Sasha's eye but it quickly faded.

"My whole life I've been attracted to money and power. Hector had both when he was the mayor of Caprica City. Now he is working for the side that's going to win this war. He has so much power that I can't help but want to be with him. You're going to see this as well in time."

Gloria looked at her skeptically, "Hector and you chose your sides, and mine is on the human side. The two of you can frak each other's brains out and help the Cylons, but I will do no such thing."

Sasha walked closer to her and leaned in so that only Gloria could hear her, "You may want to rethink that."

"Why would I want to do that?"

"Think of Louise. I'd hate for that sweet little girl to have to learn to call another woman 'Mom'. Wouldn't you? I know if I were in your place I'd make sure I didn't make any waves for Hector. Most importantly you'd want to make life easy for your son since he is technically an enemy combatant." Sasha let the threat hang in the air. Gloria was a smart woman and she'd easily get the hint.

"Yeah…" Gloria said, knowing that she had been defeated for the time being. As much as she wished nothing but harm towards Hector and Sasha she couldn't go against her maternal instinct to protect her children. She didn't want anything bad to happen to Chris or Louise.

"Smart woman…" Sasha said with a hint of haughtiness to her voice, "Now follow me and I'll show you to your quarters."

They were walking towards their quarters when Hector and Louise came up to them.

"Alright sweetie, you go with your mom and be a good girl for daddy." He said as he put her down gave her a kiss.

"It's good to see you Hector." Gloria said. She had to force herself to give him a pleasant smile.

"See Gloria we can be happy here with the Cylons." Hector said. He was pleased his wife's demeanor had changed since he had seen her. He noticed Sasha smiling though he wasn't quite sure why.

"I have to go meet with Mr. Arnold. I'll tell you about it when we're through." Hector went and kissed Gloria on the lips. When he had parted from her Sasha came up and gave him a kiss on the lips, the type they had been sharing during their trysts in his quarters.

Hector was worried about Gloria's reaction but when he looked at her she didn't seem fazed by it. In fact she smiled and told him to take care. Suddenly all of his fears were put at ease. He assumed the girls must have talked things out and decided to do what would make him happy.

**Baseship Control Center:**

Hector couldn't help but feel stunned by the announcement from William Arnold.

"You're telling me that we're going to take our five baseships and attack Cosmora?"

"Actually Mr. President we're going to draw Tolan's group out of the Pallas Nebula and once we're through with them we'll enter the nebula and wipe up the remnants."

"What about Carter's four battlestars and Kronus' warstars? Tolan has the smallest battle group but we should be worried about the rest."

"We practically destroyed those ships and Kronus only has three warstars and our raiders can handle them easily."

"Let me ask you this. We have your left over older model Cylons and raiders on board and only a few of the newer ones. What if they board us?"

Arnold laughed, "We have them on the ropes, and they wouldn't be able to board us even if they wanted to."

"I'll go with it. However, I want to offer Tolan a chance to surrender to me. I'll come up with some peace terms he would have a hard time refusing."

"Alright but why would you want him to offer him the chance to surrender, wouldn't it be best to blow him out of space?"

Hector clapped his hands and rubbed them together, "Because there is nothing I would love more than to humiliate Scott Tolan. He made this personal a long time ago."

Arnold nodded, "Very well Mr. President, we will be jumping within the hour."

_**Victorious:**_

Lacey Tolan was lying on the sofa in Scott's quarters reading a book from his collection. The mystery novel 'The Streets of Delphi' was one of the books written by Arnold Silva that she hadn't read yet. She was so deep in thought that she didn't hear the door to the room open and the sound of footsteps coming up to the sofa.

"Cadet Tolan how many viper squadrons are there on a _Mercury_ Class Battlestar?" Andrea Graystone barked in her best 'Angry Officer' voice.

Lacey instinctively jumped up and said, "A _Mercury_ Class Battlestar has up to eight viper squadrons, Sir!"

"Great to see you Lacey, I heard you were onboard!" Andie said in between her fits of laughter.

"Two years at the Academy and it's like I'm a trained dog!" Lacey said as she finally started laughing.

"It's alright that's how they want us to act. We're supposed to be able to give any information asked for at any given time." Andie walked up and gave Lacey a hug. "I know Scott is thrilled that you survived."

Lacey nodded, "Yeah it's a miracle any of us survived the Cylons. I was lucky enough to be up in the mountains doing high-altitude physical training when Picon got hit."

"It's been a while since I last saw you, I think it was…" Andie was trying to remember exactly when.

"The day before I reported to the Academy, you came with Scott and Emily to see me off at the station for the Picon Shuttle." Lacey sat back down on the sofa, and Andie sat on the other side of it.

"Did you have any boyfriends?"

Lacey shook her head, "There was a cadet who made my life there miserable, and word got out that I'm the granddaughter of a gangster. The kind of guys that attracted were definitely not my type."

"At least you knew to leave them alone; I always seemed to draw those types of guys. My dad said I went looking for them without even realizing it." Andie decided to steer the conversation away from her relationship with her father, "Any guys you've met since you've been rescued?"

Lacey blushed a bit, "Well there is this one guy I met. He's a pilot on the Helios. Really sweet but I have no idea if he is really that way or just putting on an act."

Andie smiled, "Well just between us girls…what's his name?"

"Do you know a Lt. Chris Alonzo?"

Andie nodded slowly then said, "Oh…him…well I heard about his actions on the Sphinx and then when he was transferred to the Helios. Then you want to know something that Scott may have problems with."

"Can you tell me everything you know?" Lacey asked, knowing that this was one of the ways she could learn more about Chris.

"Let me tell you first about Hector Alonzo. He's Chris' father…" Andie then began to tell her everything she knew about Chris and the background between his father and Scott.

**Ostarsis:**

"Have you heard anything else from our friends?" Darius James asked.

"There hasn't been any traffic lately on the comm. I'm not getting worried though. I know Scott will come through for us." Bridget Woods said. The two of them were sitting outside of the deserted hotel they had used as an alternate base. The Cylon patrols rarely came out here, and the Resistance had hid their existence well enough to not be suspected. Here they were at night sitting on a bench looking up at the sky. The colony of Libris was visible, though they both knew that it was probably uninhabitable by now due to the radiation from the Cylon nukes.

"I know the stories you've told me about him and Tyrone Carter Tell me what would happen if they were to have a fight in a bar?"

Woods laughed, "It'd be fun to watch. I know if there was a Dance held after this rescue mission I'd want to see them two have a boxing match. There's money to be made from that match!"

"I'll be glad just to be off this rock. I just hope the Cylons don't get us before the Fleet gets here."

Woods gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder, "Scott said he'd rescue us and he wouldn't just abandon us."

James smiled at her, "Has he ever given you a reason to doubt him?"

Woods shook her head, "Not once. I spent a little over four years serving with him as his XO. He taught me a lot of what I know about command. I also knew him personally and he is not the type to give his word and then go back on it."

"If you don't mind me asking, just how well did you know him 'personally'?" James asked. He knew Bridget would catch on to what he was implying.

She looked away from the sky and at him, "Let's just say we had our moment and that's all there is to that story."

"Only a moment…I sure hope it was a good one." James said as he laughed.

"Oh yeah, it was one of the best." She wasn't going to elaborate more on that particular subject. "I'm going to head down to the caves and get some rest. I'll see you after your rescue mission tomorrow."

He bid her farewell and she left while he stayed sitting on the bench. Her mind went back to the night she first met Scott Tolan. Her friend Monique had her eyes on Robert Reynolds as long as she had known him. The only problem was that he was engaged to Bridget. Monique plotted to end the engagement and had succeeded with flying colors. After the confrontation at Scott's condo things fell the way Monique had intended. Robert had called off the engagement and Bridget ended up looking like some kind of harlot to her friends and family. Monique stepped in and ultimately married Robert. She even sent Bridget a note thanking her for 'taking one for the team' that night at Club Tavares.

As for Scott, he endured a small scandal because of what happened. He did manage to make a lifelong enemy of Robert. The man wanted to ruin the Colonial Fleet officer professionally and he began to circulate rumors that painted Scott in the most unflattering light.

Eventually Scott got Robert to stop his attacks, but only because he brought Emily into the whole mess. When Emily had her miscarriage and almost lost her life, Robert told authorities that there was a good chance that Scott had abused her and caused her to lose the baby. Scott didn't know anything about this until his very upset wife called him in tears telling him what had happened.

If there was one thing Bridget knew it was that messing with Emily Tolan was a surefire way to get on Scott's bad side. She had heard that Scott and Robert had a meeting on Caprica and worked out their differences. From the way Monique told her friends the story it came out that Scott had threatened him at gunpoint. He apparently told the man that he could talk trash about him all he wanted but if he mentioned anything about his wife again or caused her any kind of anguish he would regret the day that he was an itch in his father's pants.

Bridget finally reached her room and got in bed. As she drifted off to sleep he couldn't help but wonder if Monique and Robert had survived the attacks.

She chuckled and said aloud, "If they're in the fleet with Scott then may the Gods have mercy on their souls…"

_**Victorious:**_

Counting the CAG there would be seven other squadron commanders in the wardroom for this meeting. However, the battles with the Cylons had costs the lives of Lieutenants Colette Sharpe and Broderick Stevens. Their two squadrons had been decimated during the Battle of Carillon and the remaining vipers had been absorbed into the four remaining squadrons temporarily. It was hoped that in the future, once the other battlestars had been returned to full strength with their viper squadrons, the two squadrons on Victorious could be reformed.

Now it was up to Captain Larsen 'Magic' Banks to meet with the four surviving squadron commanders to let them know that he was the new CAG until Spartan had healed from his injuries.

"Why did the admiral decide to make you the CAG instead of one of us?" Alexis Baldwin asked. Her face was showing a cold resentment over not being promoted.

"Well that is easy to explain. I have a higher rank than the three of you and I also have some basic knowledge of handling a viper. Therefore it made sense to Admiral Tolan that I get the promotion until Spartan has recovered from his wounds." Banks said.

"It doesn't make it right. We're viper pilots, you just fly a raptor. We're the leaders of the remaining squadrons here on the Vic. You don't belong out there with us." Tyler Bibb said. The man was doing his best to show his disdain for the Banks' promotion.

Alexis Baldwin put in more of her opinion and it proved to be the one that used up the rest of Banks' patience, "He's got a point. The only connection you have to us is Cashew, and she's barely a viper pilot."

Banks slammed his hand down on the podium he was standing at, "Alright then have it your way. The fact is that I am a Captain in the Colonial Fleet and while you Lieutenants man not like it the fact is that you will give me the respect that I am due. If you have that much of a problem with me as your CAG then you can take it up with Admiral Tolan himself or I can just go ahead and ground the three of you until further notice. Have I made myself clear enough?"

The three squadron leaders nodded their heads vigorously. They seemed to suddenly be very contrite and eager to hear what all the CAG had to say.

**Leonis:**

_**Svalin:**_

Admiral Kronus was sitting down at the desk in his flag quarters waiting for his guest. He had received the report that General Hyde went with his people willingly and didn't try to put up any kind of fight. He had used his time to put together the many questions he had for her.

The door opened and in stepped Alice Hyde. Her face had a neutral expression, making it impossible to get a read on how she might be feeling.

Kronus motioned towards the chairs in front of his desk with his right hand, "Have a seat please. We have a lot to discuss and this time I want you to tell me the truth…"

_**Olympica:**_

Alton Mathis had pulled it off. He had killed another Colonial Fleet officer and this time he remembered to leave his Eastern Alliance knife with the victim.

He had followed the young woman from a distance as she navigated the halls of the First Class section of the _Olympica_. After several minutes she entered the _Olympica's _movie theater, and he followed suit. Sitting in the darkened theater watching the movie 'The Last Oracle', Alton made sure he got a seat next to the young woman. During a scene that seemed to make most of the audience scream with fright Alton plunged the knife into the woman's heart. He held onto her and leaned her body towards his as though they were a couple and she was too scared to look at the screen. With the movie mostly taking place at night he was able to close her eyes, lean her head back so that she appeared to be sleeping, and left the theater. He felt certain that nobody had seen him. Maybe at last he could ignite a shooting war between the Eastern Alliance and the Colonial Fleet.

The idea that the Alliance would ally themselves with the Fleet was a thought that made him sick to his stomach. Better to fight a hated enemy to the death than to try to make nice. Maybe it was his time living on the fringe of Colonial society but when he thought of the Cylons he was of the belief that the enemy of his enemy was his friend. If they couldn't live with the Cylons, then the Eastern Alliance would get by just fine on their own.


	12. Chapter 12: The Winds of War

_**Svalin:**_

"The personal escort wasn't necessary. I'd have been able to find my way back here on my own." General Alice Hyde said as she sat down in one of the two chairs in front of Kronus' desk.

Kronus gave her a polite smile, "I don't doubt it, but I thought you should understand why it is so important that I meet with you."

"Since we got the polite niceties out of the way, I suggest that you explain to me why you had me brought here under armed guard." Hyde dropped any pretense of being nice.

"Very well then, I want to know why you lied to me about your assignment but first I'll show you these photos and you can explain your actions against these unarmed civilians to me." Kronus said as he spread out the photographs taken of the aftermath of her actions at Iambe.

Hyde's gaze fell upon each of them one at a time. Kronus looked to see if there was a flicker of emotion on her face, but none could be observed. "Admiral I had a job to do and I did it. That is all there is to Iambe. The President gave me an order and I followed it to the letter." She gave him a look that seemed to dare him to fight her on it.

He slammed his right hand down on the desk causing everything on it to jump, "You had no right to unleash the power of the Colonial Army against its own people. Did you think of the innocent men, women, and by Gods the children!?"

Hyde shrugged her shoulders, "As with any military exercise there is bound to be collateral damage. It takes more than a dead child to get through my defenses."

"You could have shown some restraint if you were so damn determined to follow through with Adar's orders! Better yet why didn't you just refuse and stand up to that moron?" Kronus yelled at her. He couldn't believe that the woman sitting in front of him could be so dismissive about the civilians whose deaths she had ordered.

"You are a fine one to be talking Kronus! I didn't up and quit just because I disagreed with Adar."

Kronus was taken aback, "You would presume to judge me! I stood by my principles and refused to go along with a President that was fundamentally different from me in every possible way!"

"I saw your moment of glory on the television. You stood before the combined session of the People's Council and the Quorum of Twelve. You mustered all of your indignation at the insults hurled at you by the Adar Administration and stated that you would not be wronged and you would not be insulted!" Hyde paused for a moment before continuing, "You were being forced into retirement and could afford to have some righteous anger to direct at the President. I had no such luxury. I had a job to do, orders to follow, and the clarity of mind to do what had to be done."

Kronus let out a frustrated sigh and ran his fingers through his gray hair, "This is pointless!"

"I agree with you." Hyde took a moment to collect her thoughts, "I don't think I lied to you. I left out a few details and made a few omissions but to call them 'lies' would be reaching."

Kronus shook his head, "What you told me was different from what you were really doing in every way imaginable. Tell me what happened to this colony you were helping to start." It wasn't so much a question as it was a demand.

"It's a planet of darkness." Hyde began, "It's a frozen rock but underneath the planet's surface is a huge supply of tylium and other minerals. The Taurons had been working on a subterranean complex for the colonists since life on the surface was virtually impossible. I was appointed as the military governor of the colony. We had been given two _Titan_-class heavy battlestars for protection, the _Colossus_ and the _Geryon_. We received word of the Cylon attack and I…" Hyde paused as though she was debating with herself over what to say next, "I got scared and decided to hold off joining the battle. When we jumped to Canceron to scout for any survivors or Cylons we were attacked by a baseship."

Kronus then asked, "If you had two battlestars with you then why have we only encountered your transport?"

"When the raiders came within range of us the _Geryon_ lost power almost immediately, and I made the decision to have the _Colossus_ and my ship jump away." Hyde saw the look of disgust on Kronus' face and held up a hand to silence him, "For what it's worth I had approval from the commanders of both battlestars. When we received the communication from the surface I ordered the _Colossus_ to wait for us in the Macarian Sector until I sent word that all was well."

"I see…" Kronus said. "It still doesn't quite add up. Those battlestars were brand new and supposed to be on their shakedown cruise before they were assigned to a battle group."

Hyde gave him a sly smile, "That's true if you believe the official story. Sure they were getting all the kinks out before assignment, but the higher-ups in the Colonial Fleet felt that they could escort us and it would serve as their shakedown cruise."

**Two Hours Later:**

_**Olympica:**_

"I want you Colonial Fleet assholes to sit down and shut the frak up!" Inspector Rhoda Davis bellowed at the group in the interrogation room.

"One of my officers is dead right now and you're going on some witch hunt instead of catching the bastard!" Commander Tim Nash said as he threw his hands up in disgust.

"Ensign Sara Brooks, Communications Officer of the Battlestar _Ares_." Davis said as she opened up a file and sat it down on the table. "Her body was found in the First Class Theater with a knife sticking out of her torso. I have my Security people working on this. Leads are hard to come by so forgive me for doing my job and going with the best one I have at the moment."

"Inspector Davis I have vouched for Major Graystone's whereabouts. She never left the _Victorious_ and yet you refuse to believe she's innocent." Scott Tolan's eyes locked with Rhoda Davis' and neither seemed intent on backing down.

"You are her brother-in-law so right away that makes your story less than believable. Throw in the fact that your cousin is trying to vouch for her as well. On that subject let's just say that in a family of gangsters the apple doesn't fall very far from the tree." Davis backed away as Lacey ran to the table and tried to grab a hold of her.

"You bitch!" She screamed as she tried to lunge for her. She was stopped by the strong arms of her cousin and Commander Nash.

"Do you see what I mean?" Davis said with a satisfied look on her face.

When they were sure Lacey had calmed down Scott turned back towards her, "If you won't take my word for it then I can get you sworn statements from the crew who Major Graystone visited while she was on the Victorious."

Davis shook her head, "Your crew is loyal to you as well as to the Major. Even their testimony is circumspect in my eyes."

"What will make you happy Inspector?" Stadra Ah-Mun said. She had come along mainly to serve as an impromptu JAG lawyer.

"What will make me happy?" Davis said as she pretended to think seriously, "I want Andrea Graystone to look at this knife and confess to the murder of Sara Brooks!"

She pulled a plastic bag out of a large beige envelope and slammed it down on the desk. Inside the bag was the knife that had murdered Ensign Brooks.

This time Andrea had pushed her way to the table and looked down at the knife, "Nice theatrics but I've never seen a knife like that before in my life."

"I have…" Stadra said quietly. She couldn't take her eyes away from the knife sitting on the table. She knew what this could mean for the truce between the Colonial Fleet and the Eastern Alliance. The worst part was the loyalty she felt to both Admiral Tolan and Magnus Ah-Mun, her commanding officer and her father.

She looked up and realized that everyone in the room was looking at her. "Major Graystone is innocent."

"What makes you say that Miss Ah-Mun?" Davis asked with a skeptical tone to her voice.

"I spent seven months with the Eastern Alliance and that knife is given only to people who are my father's trusted lieutenants. Whoever killed Ensign Brooks is a member of the Eastern Alliance."

A heavy silence fell over the room and nobody said anything for a minute.

Finally Admiral Tolan said, "Well this damn sure complicates things."

Rhoda Davis was looking at the prospect of being wrong but she wanted to get in one last dig at Scott Tolan, "Admiral did you realize that you cuss too much?"

"Like hell I do!" Tolan said. He didn't want to argue with her right now. He realized that he had to figure out a way to handle the upcoming situation when he confronted Magnus Ah-Mun.

The group left the interrogation room, not bothering to say another word to Davis. As they were walking towards the exit Scott turned around and saw the door to the observation room swing open and a woman he didn't recognize walked out and stormed into the interrogation room. She slammed the door behind her and the sound reverberated down the hallway.

'There's no way that can be good.' Tolan thought to himself.

**Ostarsis:**

Bridget Woods was heading to her room to get some rest. She wasn't sure what time it was but if something unexpected came up she wanted at least a few hours of sleep. As she navigated the caverns that had become her home she was approached by Lamont Evans.

"Commander I need to have a word with you." The young man requested as he saluted her.

"Very well then Lieutenant, what would you like to talk to me about?" She said as she returned his salute.

"It's Angie…" Evans said, "She hasn't quite been herself. When I was talking to her earlier she seemed like her mind was off in another world."

"Well it's possible that every now and then we'd like to forget the situation we're in."

Evans shook his head, "Well Sir, it seems to me that there is something not right with her. I think you should talk to her and see where her mind is at."

Woods decided to be conciliatory, "Alright I'll go talk to her before I go to sleep. You go call it a night and in the morning I'll give you my opinion about your concerns. You're dismissed Lieutenant."

Evans gave her a salute and left once she returned it. Woods then made a right turn towards the rooms of Angela Rigel and Sharon Bonilla.

She knocked on Angela's door and asked if she could come in. There wasn't a response, but she could hear movement in the room. She asked again if she could come in, but this time all she heard was the distinctive sound of a sidearm being loaded.

Woods acted on instinct, opened the door and entered the room with one quick motion. What she saw stopped her in her tracks. She didn't realize that she had closed the door behind her. Now she was standing in front of her one-time communications officer. Rigel was sitting on her bed and had her sidearm drawn and pressed to the right side of her head.

"Don't come any closer or I'll pull the trigger." Rigel said.

Woods could tell that the young woman was serious. The hard part was going to be convincing her not to end her life. She just had to figure out how to pull it off.

_**Olympica: **_

After leaving the _Olympica _Security offices Tolan and his group made their way to the hangar bay of the _Olympica_. They walked in silence, each of them lost in their thoughts. None of them spoke until they reached the hangar.

"I have to get back to the _Ares_ and give the news to Brooks' friends. I also have to decide who's going to take her place as Communications Officer. If anyone from the _Victorious_ wishes to attend her Memorial Service let me know." Timothy Nash stepped onto the raptor then turned around and saluted Scott Tolan.

"It was good to see you Tim; I just wish it could have been under better circumstances." Tolan said as he returned the salute.

Nash stepped into the raptor and the door closed. The raptor then departed, leaving behind Scott Tolan, Stadra Ah-Mun, Andrea Graystone, and Lacey Tolan in the hangar.

"Well then, let's return to _Victorious_ and see what can be sorted out of this mess with the Eastern Alliance." Tolan said as the group walked towards the raptor that would return them to their battlestar.

Andrea Graystone walked up to Scott and quietly asked, "Can I talk to you in private?"

Scott nodded and told the rest of the group to get in the raptor and he would join them shortly.

When it was just the two of them he asked, "Alright what is it you wanted to talk to me about?"

Andrea smiled at him, "It's safe to say that Ms. Davis won't be gunning for me anymore right?"

Tolan nodded, "Thanks to Ensign Ah-Mun we know that the killer is an Eastern Alliance pirate. Why do you ask?"

"Well since Reese is still in the infirmary here I would like to stay here so I can check on him and make sure he's alright. Would you have a problem with that?"

"Not at all, just make sure trouble doesn't find you. I'm not sure if I'll be able to come to your rescue right away." Tolan said with a wink.

"You had to come to my rescue this time. I must not seem like that strong of a woman."

Scott put a hand on her shoulder, "Andie you have proven to me what I've come to know about a woman."

Andie gave him an inquisitive look, "What exactly would that be?"

"A woman is like a teabag…only in hot water do you realize how strong she is. I've always known you were a strong woman, and you've proven that with everything you've done during this crisis."

She stood on her tiptoes and gave him a tender kiss on the cheek, "Thank you Scott. It's no wonder I love you as much as I do."

They parted and a few minutes later the raptor was leaving the _Olympica_ and making its way towards the _Victorious_.

_**Victorious: **_

The two cells being used in the brig became quiet with the arrival of the visitor. Daimon Ravashol, Josh Moreland, and Abbie Moreland stared nervously. Alice Copeland in the neighboring cell took in the scene and couldn't help but smile.

"Welcome to the brig Miss Hamilton, I'm sure the doctor and his assistants are overjoyed to see you." The Cylon said. She was enjoying how uncomfortable it was making the other three.

"I'm sure of it." Jamie said with a voice that was flat and betrayed no emotional.

"I'll answer your questions Miss Hamilton. That is what brought you here, right?" Ravashol asked.

"Considering that you 'fathered' two children with me I think I deserve some time with you." Jamie said.

Alice saw the distressed look on Ravashol's face, "I wouldn't worry too much doctor. I doubt she's here to get child support from you." She laughed with joy at the situation the doctor was in.

"I think you're pushing the whole 'fathered' statement a bit far…" Ravashol started to say before he was cut off by Jamie.

"There are two boys that have a mix of our DNA so I don't think it's out of the question to say that we brought two children into this world!"

"Lieutenant you have to realize that you and Dr. Ravashol didn't actually have sex." Josh Moreland said, trying to reason with the young woman.

"He drugged me, took enough of my DNA to make an exact copy of me, and he even used my DNA along with his to 'create' life. He may not have literally frakked me but it sure looks that way!"

"Can you tell me exactly why you're here, what is it that I can do to give you some kind of peace?" Ravashol said.

Jamie looked down at the floor for a moment before her head went up and she made eye contact with Ravashol, "I want answers, and I want to know what made you decide to choose me instead of getting someone who was willing to volunteer."

_**Olympica:**_

The medical facilities on the _Olympica_ compared well with those on the _Solace_. Andrea Graystone imagined that the Colonial Line wanted their flagship to be top-of-the-line in as many aspects as possible.

She had been directed to the private room where Reese Pittman was being kept until he could be transferred to the _Solace_. Even though her encounters with Rhoda Davis left a lot to be desired, she was glad that _Olympica _Security was taking the precaution of guarding Spartan's room.

When she reached Room 015 the guards took a few minutes to make sure she was allowed to visit Spartan. Finally they agreed and let her into the room, closing the door behind her.

Captain Reese Nathaniel Pittman II, call-sign 'Spartan', lay in the hospital bed with the blanket pulled up to his chest. He had recently regained consciousness, though the doctors had yet to clear _Olympica _Security to interview him. There was an IV connected to his left arm, and judging by the look on his face there was a good chance he was currently on a trip to Morpha Land.

Reese looked at her and smiled, "Hey baby didn't think I'd see you again so soon!" It was clear he was in pain despite the painkillers he had been given.

"You see what happens when you sleep with the girls who get posted to the Vic?" She said teasingly to him, trying to keep the mood light.

"That explains why I'm here. Did you know that they've been giving me the good stuff and my side still feels like it's on fire?"

Andie walked over to the right side of the bed and pulled a chair over for her to sit in. "At least they're giving you some quality drugs, if I get so much as a headache I have to tough it out. I suppose that's a downside to being pregnant."

"You don't want to do anything to hurt Reese III."

Andie gave him a quizzical look, "What makes you say it's a boy? For all we know the baby could be a girl."

Reese let out a small laugh, "Then we'll pick a name for her that will let her use my name as her nickname…" He got quite before saying, "Don't ask me where that came from."

Andie held his right hand, "It's probably the morpha, but it's nice to see you excited about the baby instead of how you were acting before."

"Having a stranger come damn close to murdering me helped to put things in perspective, not to mention the talk we had earlier."

Andie remembered the earlier meeting, "By the way the newest Ensign on the _Victorious_, one you didn't get the chance to sleep with, gave the authorities a lead."

"Who was it and will it complicate things more?"

"Stadra Ah-Mun was the one behind our big break. Sara Brooks…" Andie saw the light of recognition on Spartan's face, "Yes it's that Sara. Well she was murdered shortly after you were attacked and this time the murderer left a knife behind. Ensign Ah-Mun recognized it as an Eastern Alliance knife."

Reese let out a deep breath, "I'd say that's going to complicate matters quite a bit."

There was a knock on the door and a moment later Inspector Rhoda Davis walked into the room.

Andie's body tensed as soon as she saw her. The previous encounters with Davis had been anything but pleasant and now she mentally prepared herself for another round of arguing.

"Captain Pittman it's nice to see you're awake. How are you feeling?" Davis asked as nicely as she could.

"Other than being attacked and stabbed I don't have too much to complain about." Reese said.

Davis then turned her attention to Andie, "Hello Major, I wanted to have a word with you."

"What is it this time?" Andie said, making no attempt to hide her frustration.

"Well…" Davis began before taking a moment to find the right words, "I was overzealous with my questioning of you and I realize that I overstepped my boundaries as an investigator here on the _Olympica_. I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry and I hope you can forgive me." It seemed she almost choked on the 'I'm sorry' but she managed to say it and still look very contrite.

At first Andie was speechless. She wanted to ask the woman who she was and what had happened to the real Inspector Davis!

"I forgive you Inspector." That was all she could think of saying. Andie realized that she really couldn't think of what else to add.

Davis nodded and left the room without saying a word.

"I have no idea what just happened." Andie said, her voice still sounded incredibly stunned by the change that had come over Rhoda Davis.

"That was an official apology from Inspector Davis." The woman standing in the doorway said.

"I appreciate the apology Miss…" Andie said to the stranger.

The woman walked in and closed the door, "Karin Briggs, director of _Olympica _Security." She offered a handshake to Andie and then took a seat.

Andie noticed that Briggs was dressed in an expensive business suit and seemed to contrast greatly with Rhoda Davis. She had dark caramel-colored skin, long black hair, and an average build.

"I observed the interrogation earlier today and Inspector Davis did everything I told her not to. I gave her explicit orders not to provoke you or your friends. Instead she crossed practically every line of protocol and decency. When your party had left the interrogation room I had a talk with her and one of my demands was that she was to give you an apology."

"Thank you Miss Briggs, that really means a lot to me." Andie said, grateful that someone had put Rhoda Davis in her place.

"It was something that had to be done. I also wanted to offer you my personal apology for the way you and your friends were treated. I'm sure he's a busy man, but could you pass my apology on to Admiral Tolan?"

Andie nodded, "Of course I will, I know he'll be happy to hear it."

Briggs smiled, "Thank you Major. I spoke to the doctors and it's their judgment that Captain Pittman should be stable enough to move to the_ Solace_."

Reese didn't say anything but gave Briggs a thumbs-up.

Briggs got up from her seat and left the room.

"Alright Andie now what have you done this time?" Reese asked her teasingly.

"It's a long story." She said and then realized that it might help to pass time between now and when they got to the Solace. "Let me start by telling you how I got accused of trying to murder you…"

_**Victorious:**_

As soon as he was out of the raptor Scott Tolan left the port hangar and made his way to the CIC. Andre Graystone was the Officer on Duty but he quickly turned command over to Tolan.

"Are there any new reports concerning our Eastern Alliance friends?" Tolan asked Andre.

"Lt. Jennings has reported increased communications traffic between the Balius and their space station. It appears that Magnus Ah-Mun has gone back to his flagship." Andre said as he shuffled through a small stack of reports.

"Miss Jennings I want you to open a communications channel with the _Balius_. Tell Mr. Ah-Mun that we need to discuss the actions of one of his pirates" Tolan said before turning his attention to Anton Pontiere, "Mr. Pontiere I want Condition One set throughout the ship, get our vipers in the tubes but hold off launching them until I give the order."

As Pontiere made the call for Action Stations Stadra walked up to Tolan, "Admiral why do you need to call for Condition One"

Tolan gave her a sympathetic look, "Because there is a chance that things could escalate between your father and I. If there is a shooting war then I want to be prepared for it." He saw the look of horror on her face, "Listen to me, I will do everything I can to avoid fighting your father. I know this has to be confusing for you, but I need you to trust me on this."

She nodded and walked back to where Lacey was standing.

Andre leaned in so that only Scott could hear him, "Wouldn't it be a good idea to have the Sphinx and the Helios also go to Condition One? There's no telling if this will escalate into a shootout."

Tolan thought about it and then said, "Let's have them do that, but they're not to launch their vipers until I give them the order. Go relay that message to Lt. Jennings so she can get that sent off to Omega and Sakura."

It was several minutes later when Pontiere reported that the other two battlestars were reporting to be at Condition One and still there was no word from the _Balius_.

"It seems that Magnus is having some trouble communicating with us." Andre said.

"I'm sure there's got to be a reason behind this; he's probably trying to decide his next move." Stadra said, trying to give some kind of reason for what her father might be doing.

"That may be true, but I fear that while I have plenty of patience I don't have an infinite supply of it." Tolan said as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Admiral I'm receiving a message from the _Balius_!" Jennings exclaimed.

"Very good." Tolan said as he picked up the receiver once the connection had been made.

"I think it's safe to say we have a delicate situation here." Magnus Ah-Mun said in a calm voice.

"You have a gift for the understatement Mr. Ah-Mun. One of your pirates has been busy on the _Olympica_." Tolan said, not wanting to escalate the possible confrontation.

"My people picked up the comm chatter on _Olympica_; you would think those security people would actually know something about well security!"

"You would think…" Tolan said before trying his next approach. "Stadra told me that the knife used to kill a Colonial Fleet officer belonged to your group of rogues."

"Nonsense! I left strict instructions for the group that visited the _Olympica_ to not do anything foolish and I trust them enough to know that they wouldn't do otherwise." Magnus said as his tone suddenly became defensive.

"I don't doubt that you gave those orders, but the fact is that someone in that group decided not to follow them and now here we are." Tolan said hoping that he could keep the tone of the conversation pleasant.

"How do I know this isn't some sort of trap? Something terrible happens and naturally the pirate gets blamed. I can't just let you arrest one of my people."

Tolan let out a deep sigh, "Magnus I want you to listen to me. I have proof that a member of the Eastern Alliance killed an officer from the Battlestar _Ares_ and tried to kill one of my officers and came damn close to pulling it off. With that in mind, I recommend that you bring over the group that was on the _Olympica_ and let me sort this out."

"From my point of view there is the fact that your ship and the other two battlestars have their weapons powered up and probably aimed at us. I want you to think about how peaceful that makes you look."

Tolan heard nothing but silence after Magnus said that...

"Admiral the connection was severed." Jennings said, which only confirmed his suspicions.

"The _Balius_, the station, and the rest of the Alliance fleet are powering up their weapons. I think they're getting ready to attack!" Pontiere said from the tactical console.

"My Gods…" Andre said out loud though only Tolan heard him.

_**Melette: **_

"Commander the damage control teams haven't been able to get the fire under control. What are your orders?" Colonel Clarissa Frye said after conferring with Acting-Chief Petty Officer Lorenzo Downes

Luke Hendrix mentally went over his options, "Has anyone been able to get in touch with Admiral Kimmel?"

Frye shook her head, "We've heard from Commander Vickers on the _Neleus_ and Kimmel hasn't been seen since he left for the _Olympica_ to deal with a personal matter."

"Frak!" Hendrix exclaimed, "Has the fire spread out past the flare locker?"

"The bulkheads are glowing white from the heat and there is a chance that the fire is going to get close to the ammunition stores if it's not brought into check."

Hendrix paced while squeezing one of his hand grips. He knew what he was going to do, but he knew how important it was that he looked as though he was agonizing over it. "Alright…" He said with a dramatic pause, "We need to seal off those compartments and flood them right away. We gave the D.C. teams a chance but we can't afford to lose the ship."

"What about the people that are fighting the fires already?" Frye asked even though she already knew the answer.

Hendrix walked over and put a hand on her shoulder, "I don't like this anymore than you do. I'm afraid this is one of those times when I have to put the well-being of my ship over anything else. I'm about to sentence my crew to death and it's all because of a horrible accident."

He had made a mistake, he had no idea the flares were going to cook off the way they did and cause a fire of this magnitude. At least there weren't any connections to him and the four knuckle-draggers he had to eliminate.

Frye walked to where the phone was and picked it up. Hendrix walked over to her and took the phone from her. He said a few words about his responsibility as the commanding officer and then picked up the phone to give the order to seal the compartments off and flood them.

Minutes later when the reports came in that the flooding had commenced and the fires had been successfully been put out Hendrix stood there by the phone as if in shock. He didn't stir until Frye came up and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"You did the right thing Commander; I think you'd be hard pressed to find a person who thinks you're to blame. If you ask me you showed why you have the nickname 'Iron' Luke. To make a hard call like that you have to be made of iron."

On the inside he was smiling to himself, he had gotten away with it and given an award-worthy performance. Outwardly he looked conflicted about the whole situation. He muttered some thanks and said that he was going back to his quarters for some rest.

**Ostarsis:**

"I'm tired of fighting Commander. I just don't want to go on anymore." Rigel said. The despair in her voice painfully obvious.

"None of us want to be here Angie, but listen to me." She started to walk towards Rigel but seeing her body tense up made her stop in her in her tracks. "We've all lost someone because of the Cylons. The past seven months we've been stuck here with nothing to do besides annoy the toasters and try to stay alive."

Rigel's gun stayed pointed at her temple, "What good is this life if we're barely surviving?"

Woods got down on one knee and was now face-to-face with Rigel, "The fact that we're surviving says plenty. Billions were killed but as long as we live then the Cylons haven't accomplished all they set out to do. Every breath we draw is our own little 'frak you' to the Cylons."

"You know one piece of advice Admiral Tolan gave me before I took command of the _Kios_?" Woods kept her eyes locked with Rigel's; she hoped she was getting through to the young woman.

"Was it something about battlestars being bomb magnets?"

Woods sighed, "Damn that man for being so quotable…" She realized she was going to go off on another tangent and said, "He told me 'Surround yourself with the best people you can find, delegate authority, and don't interfere.', and that is probably one of the most important lessons he taught me about command. You and Evans are all I have left of my senior staff. I've lost almost my entire crew, and it would hurt to lose another."

She saw Rigel's resolve seem to falter and there were tears forming in her eyes, "Know this Angie. You give in and pull that trigger and the Cylons win. I need you to be strong for me, and I give you my word that I will get you off of this Godsforsaken rock!"

The words had the desired effect. Rigel put the gun down on the bed and wrapped her arms around Woods, crying on her shoulder as her commanding officer put her arms around her young officer and tried to reassure her that all would be well.

**Patrol Frigate **_**Cessair**_**: **

In the _Cessair's_ CIC there was the boring quiet that was only broken by the sounds of the electronics equipment. Commander Albert Morton's gut told him that there was something wrong but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"You sure you don't want to head to your quarters and get some rack time? It's not like we've had a lot of excitement." Lt. Malik Tate said as he looked up from his tactical console.

"I just have a feeling I can't shake. If something goes down I want to be here in the CIC of my ship."

"If you say so…" Tate said before the tactical console began going off.

"DRADIS contacts, five off of our port side…Commander it's the Cylons!"

"I knew they'd show up sooner or later." Morton said matter-of-factly.

**Hector Alonzo's Baseship:**

"Open a communications channel with the lead frigate." Hector Alonzo ordered one of the Number Eight cylons.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Daniel Warren asked nervously.

"Scott Tolan is a lot of things but he is a man of honor. This is the one way that I am guaranteed to meet him on the field of battle and destroy him." Hector said with more than the usual dose of self-confidence.

"Why are you having me deliver your challenge to him, wouldn't it make more sense to send Sasha?" Warren asked.

"I need Sasha here for…strategy purposes. It's important that I have you do this for me." Hector said as he thought to himself how this was the best way to rid himself of the nosy young man.

"Wouldn't the admiral have me killed? You're not exactly his favorite person."

'Hopefully he'll have you killed, but if he doesn't at least I won't have to put up with you.' Hector thought to himself.

"I need you to trust me on his Dan. You are going to be the one throwing down the gauntlet on my behalf. Make your way to the raptor and the Eight will take you to the _Victorious_."

"Then she'll take me back here when we're through?"

Hector patted him on the shoulder, "That's the plan Mr. Warren."

"We've established communication with the Cessair; Commander Morton is ready to speak with you." The Eight said.

"Hello Commander Morton it's great to see you." Hector said as nicely as he could.

"I wish I could say I'm happy to see you Mr. President but my mom told me not to lie."

"I see you wouldn't have been one of the people who voted for me if there had been another election." Hector was trying to keep things light.

"Is there a point to this conversation?" Morton asked impatiently.

"I could destroy you, but I'm not. Not to offend you Commander but I am after a much bigger prize. Let me tell you what you shall do. There is a raptor that will be leaving my baseship soon. It is bringing a challenge to Admiral Tolan on the _Victorious_. That raptor is not to be harmed. If you or any of those frigates of yours open fire then I will change my mind and blast you to pieces before you know what hit you. Am I making myself clear?"

"Now listen here…" Morton said but Hector cut him off.

"This is a simple 'Yes' or 'No' type question, and that is the only answer I need to hear."

"Yes." Morton said tersely.

"Very good Commander, the raptor will be leaving shortly." Hector ordered the line severed and he took in a deep breath feeling satisfied with him.

**Twenty Minutes Later:**

"DRADIS contact, it's a raptor from the _Neleus_." Pontiere announced once he had identified the craft that had come into range.

"For a moment there I thought Magnus had launched one of his shuttles." Andre said relieved.

"Admiral I'm receiving a message from the raptor." Jennings said though a moment later her face had a confused look. "The message is from Daniel Warren. He says that he brings a message to you from Hector Alonzo."

"Well this complicates things." Tolan said quietly then he turned his attention to Lt. Jennings, "Miss Jennings I want you to get in contact with Magnus Ah-Mun and tell him that we're standing down and I would like to see him on the _Victorious_…" He paused to think of how to word his next statement, "Let him know that we are both in danger. Hector Alonzo and the Cylons are at our front door and I doubt they're intentions are good."

She nodded her understanding and began to get in contact with the _Balius_.

"Major Pontiere I want that raptor in our hangar bay ASAP. Have a Marine escort ready for him and he is to be brought to the wardroom so that we can have a friendly little chat."

"Mr. Ah-Mun says that he wants you to stand down before he talks to you again." Jennings said.

"I'd be careful, there's no telling if we can trust him to not fire on us as soon as we stand down from Condition One." Andre said.

Stadra heard him and walked up to him, "Excuse me Colonel but that's my father you're talking about!"

Andre tried to calm her down, "I know that but he's a pirate and the Eastern Alliance hasn't been the most trustworthy group around."

Stadra was having none of it, "He's my father no matter what you think about him. We can trust him, besides I know he wouldn't fire on a ship that I was on."

Tolan was quiet but he finally said, "You have a point Miss Ah-Mun. We'll stand down, and I'll send him my personal assurances that you're not going to be hurt. Maybe that'll convince him to work with us."

Stadra let out a relieved sigh, "Thank you Admiral." She walked off but not before giving Andre an angry glare.

"Miss Jennings, tell Mr. Ah-Mun that I am ordering my battle group to stand down from Condition One. Also let him know that I would like to have him meet me here to discuss the Cylon problem that just showed up."

**Thirty Seven Minutes Later:**

_**Victorious:**_

In the Officer's Wardroom sat Daniel Warren, Magnus Ah-Mun, Scott Tolan, and David Rush. There were eight Marines standing with their weapons ready, though Tolan had done all he could to assure Magnus that they were not going to be used on him.

"Let me get this straight Mr. Warren," Rush began, "Hector Alonzo has a fleet of five Cylon basestars stationed outside of the nebula and he will attack us if Admiral Tolan does not engage him in battle?"

Warren nodded, "That is correct. His demands are very simple. Admiral Tolan is to bring the _Victorious_, _Helios_, and _Sphinx_ outside of the Pallas Nebula and engage his force at Cosmora. If the Eastern Alliance or any of the other Colonial Fleet ships attempt to help him then he will send his nuclear missiles into the nebula and destroy everyone in it before there is a chance to escape."

"That's all fine and good, but as deep in the Pallas Nebula as we are it would be impossible to know the exact location of my station and the ships around it." Magnus said with a healthy amount of skepticism.

"Not when we have the locations of every ship in this nebula and your headquarters. Did you notice that the raptor I used was from the _Neleus_?" Warren asked, looking directly at Tolan.

"The _Neleus _has a small hangar that can accommodate five raptors. Tell me exactly why I should care about this." Tolan said.

"Admiral Kimmel is a Cylon. The number for the line of models he belongs to is 'Four', and he was a sleeper agent that infiltrated your fleet and gave us every last piece of information you possess." Warren looked very assured of himself. In fact he was close to outdoing Hector Alonzo in that department.

"Care to explain yourself Admiral Tolan?" Rush asked.

"I couldn't have known, I did a background check on him and everything looked official…" Tolan said before slamming his fist down on the dark wood table. He let out a couple of curse words and then he became quiet.

"I'm surprised you kiss your wife with that mouth." Warren said and then regretted it when Tolan's head shot up and fixed him with a murderous look. Thankfully Magnus and Rush both put a hand on the admiral and that brought him back to his senses.

"This is for you Admiral." Warren took out the letter that Alonzo had given him. A marine took it from him and passed it along the table to Tolan.

The admiral read it and nodded his head before passing the letter to David Rush and then to Magnus Ah-Mun.

"It looks like your work here is done Mr. Warren." Tolan said as everyone at the table stood up.

"Thank you for your time and now if you'll excuse me." Warren said as he turned to leave.

"Not so fast, I'm placing you under arrest for well…too many charges to mention." Tolan said as he motioned for two of the closest marines to apprehend the man.

"What are you talking about?" Warren demanded. His confident demeanor was gone now.

"This letter from Hector Alonzo was a challenge to me, but he also asked me to kill you. Something about you knowing too much and being a snoop that he couldn't afford to keep around. Now I'll be damned if I do the bidding of that bastard so I'm going to let you spend some time in the brig. Just a month or so and then I'll release you to a civilian ship." Tolan said.

"Tolan you're crazy and Hector Alonzo's an idiot!" Warren yelled at the admiral.

Tolan was conversing with Magnus and Rush when Warren said that, he then turned around. "Alright then Mr. Warren, I am sentencing you to three years in the brig for your first statement twenty years for your second statement."

Warren was confused, "What the frak is that about?"

Tolan walked over to where Warren was standing, "You get three years for insulting me and twenty years for revealing a state secret." He then motioned for the guards to take him away.

**Ten Minutes Later:**

The Wardroom had a different complement this time. Now the Marines were gone and Stadra Ah-Mun and Andre Graystone were in the room. When she first got there she had ran to her father and wrapped her arms around him.

"I love the family reunion but perhaps we should get to business before Sakura and Carter arrives." Rush said.

"He's right; I have a five hour deadline to meet." Tolan said and he noticed that Stadra looked confused. "Hector Alonzo has challenged me to do battle with him at Cosmora, if I don't show up in five hours he will attack the civilian ships."

"Oh…" Stadra said.

"While we wait for your friends to show up, what is this proof that one of my men killed that officer on the _Olympica_?" Magnus asked with more than a small amount of curiosity.

"That's exactly why I brought Miss Ah-Mun here." Tolan said as he walked to a small table and brought over an envelope.

"Your proof is in that envelope?" Rush asked, he seemed to be as curious as Magnus.

"Yes it is, and just so you know…" Tolan said as he opened the envelope and put the pictures of the knife on the table where Magnus and Rush could see them, "This knife was verified by Ensign Ah-Mun on our last visit to the _Olympica_. She informed me that this knife is an Eastern Alliance knife that is given to members who have proven their loyalty."

Magnus looked at them and was visibly shaken, "It looks like you were correct Admiral. One of my people disobeyed my direct orders and almost had us shooting at each other."

"The only problem is figuring out which one of your pira…I mean personnel committed the crime." Rush said, glad he corrected himself.

"One of the little secrets I have is that I know exactly what knife belongs to which person."

Now it was Tolan's turn to be surprised, "How exactly is this possible?"

"Every knife I give to a member of my group has an identification computer chip put into it. None know about it, and if something like this occurs then I can trace the knife back to the person who has it. Seeing as how we have bigger things to worry about, once you're through with Alonzo I'll handle the guilty party."

Tolan and Rush conferred for a couple of seconds, "That works for us Mr. Ah-Mun. I'll have your daughter escort you to the hangar." Tolan said as he and Rush shook hands with Magnus.

The two left and about ten minutes later Naomi Sakura and Tyrone Carter entered the wardroom.

"The two of you should have a seat; we have a lot of ground to cover and not little time to do it in." Tolan said.

Once they were seated Tolan began telling them the situation they were in and what was to take place. Sakura was wide-eyed with astonishment, which quickly changed to a determined look as she mentally prepared herself for the upcoming battle. Tyrone Carter seethed with anger, and Tolan was sure that he wished he could take his battle group into battle alongside his friend's.

"With that said, I've gone discussed this with President Rush and we've reached an agreement on some personnel moves." Tolan said as he shuffled through some of the papers in front of him.

"Tyrone Carter, you are hereby promoted from the rank of Vice Admiral to the rank of Admiral. We've sent a decrypted message to Admiral Kronus informing him that he is to take his battle group to 'Point Luck' and await you and the rest of the ships here in the nebula. Until then you are the officer in charge of the fleet."

Carter nodded, "I can do that sir, but I should be going into battle with you."

"I understand Tyrone and there is nobody else I'd want fighting by my side. The truth is that your battlestars are shot up pretty bad. You're going to lead everyone out of harm's way and wait for me to join you once the battle is over." Tolan said. It seemed that Carter had picked up on the tone of his voice.

"With all due respect, this is Hector Alonzo we're talking about here. This battle should be easy enough to win. The man is so full of himself that you can walk over him with no problem."

Tolan grinned and shook his head, "One of the things I've learned in my years is to never underestimate a man who overestimates himself."

"Understood." Carter said and left it alone.

"I understand why I'm here, but why isn't Commander Omega present? The Sphinx is going into battle along with us." Sakura said.

"Yes but you're here for a different reason. I'm the commander of the battle group, but should something happen to me then there needs to be a clear line-of-succession. It's my decision to promote you to the position of Rear Admiral and if something happens to me then BSG-66 becomes your command." Tolan said before standing up and walking over to the other side of the table where Sakura was sitting. He took a small box out of his jacket and opened it. "Congratulations Admiral Sakura, you've proven yourself time and again over these past seven months." She stood up, took the box, and shook his hand. Tolan noticed that her eyes seemed to be watering.

Once she was seated Tolan walked over to where Andre was sitting, "Colonel Graystone, in light of the orders of Dr. Dennis I am not allowed to command the _Victorious_ in battle. I've discussed this with President Rush and he's agreed to let me command the battle group but I must turn over command of the battlestar to you. Therefore you are promoted to the rank of Commander and you will be in charge of operations on _Victorious_."

Tolan handed him the box with his commander insignia pins. His brother-in-law saluted him, shook his hand, and then in breaking protocol gave him a huge hug.

"Thank you Admiral. The _Victorious_ is in good hands." Andre said with a huge smile on his face.

"I don't doubt it for a second." Scott said before going back to his seat and sitting down.

"There's only one CIC though, how do you plan on commanding a ship and a task force from the same room?" Rush asked.

"I'll use the Auxiliary CIC and that will allow Commander Graystone to use the CIC. Before we leave I'll decide which officers will be with me. I don't want to mess with the senior staff so all of them will stay with you Andre." Tolan said as everyone at the table nodded their agreement.

"It looks like you have everything under control. I wish you the best in your battle Admiral Tolan, and I trust we'll see you at Point Luck. Good hunting sir." Rush shook hands with Tolan and then left for the hangar bay. Sakura followed shortly.

Carter stayed behind, "Scott I want to thank you. I also wanted to tell you that I'll see you when you're through wiping the floor with Alonzo." He then saluted his friend.

"You're welcome Tyrone, now get back to the _Atlantia_ before my allergies start acting up and make my eyes water." Tolan returned the salute and watched as Carter left the wardroom.

**Two Hours Later:**

_**Solace:**_

"Major Andrea Graystone please report to ICU Ward 2-E immediately." The voice on the loudspeaker got Andie's attention as she jumped out of the chair she had been napping in.

"What's the matter Andie?" Reese asked, not quite as loopy from the Morpha as he had been earlier.

"Ward 2-E is where they're keeping Emily at. I have to see what might have happened to her." Andie said as she tried to get her shoes on and make sure she looked alright.

"You go see and let me know the first chance you get." Reese told her. Andie walked over and gave him a kiss before leaving the room.

He felt another pain coming from his side and he hit the morpha pump to try to get rid of it.

Andie rushed through the corridors, narrowly avoiding running into several people who crossed her way. As she closed in on where Emily's room was she saw that there was a group of doctors and nurses standing around the door. She was almost to the group when a pair of hands grabbed her and pulled her aside.

"You can't go in there right now Andie!" Mark Ladon said to her as she struggled to get away from him.

"If I can't go in there then why'd I get called here, what's going on with my sister?" Andie said as tears started coming to her eyes.

"I sent for you so I could give you the news, I wanted to tell you myself before you heard about it second-hand." Ladon said as he kept his hands firmly on her shoulders.

"What is it…is she…?" She didn't get to finish as she started sobbing.

Ladon realized how it must have looked and he felt foolish, "It's alright Andie. I'm to blame here, Emily's not dead. In fact she woke up about six minutes ago. The doctors have been checking on her to see what kind of shape she's in. She's awake now and that's what matters!"

Andie looked up at him and smiled. She then let out a shout of joy and wrapped her arms around Mark, this time she was still crying but they were tears of happiness.

_**Victorious:**_

Condition One had been set throughout the three battlestars, and the first wave of vipers had been loaded into the launch tubes. Most of the crew had seen combat by now, but there was a nervous tension that seemed to be running throughout the battlestars.

"This almost has to be a dream Scott; I never thought you would give up command of the _Victorious_." Andre said.

"The good Dr. Dennis did her part to make that happen. I'd have never given you the keys if I thought you wouldn't be able to handle the job." Scott said as he picked up the receiver.

"You've never been one for giving speeches, how do you think you'll do?"

Tolan smiled, "Considering how on edge everyone here seems, as well as the fact that I'm speaking to the crews of the _Sphinx_ and _Helios_ as well I'd better give a speech that would make Dr. Chalfa proud I took her Public Speaking class at the Academy."

He had an idea of what he wanted to say, and now was the time. He pressed the button to activate the loudspeaker and began to speak.

"This is your Admiral speaking…"


	13. Chapter 13: Once More Unto the Breach

_**Victorious:**_

Scott Tolan took a moment to look around CIC at the faces of his crew manning their stations – ready for battle… As he had done in the past, he was about to lead them into harm's way once again. There would be those who would say that this was a suicide mission, that he was sacrificing himself and the crews of his battlestars. If anyone had asked him he might admit that although he was prepared for martyrdom, he preferred that it be postponed. The fact remained that they were heading into battle to buy the rest of the fleet, the Eastern Alliance, and the civilians a chance to escape to live another day.

"As many of you have heard, we are heading into battle with the Cylon task force that attacked and heavily damaged Battlestar Group 67. We are preparing to leave the Pallas Nebula and engage the enemy at Cosmora. As it was on that day over forty years ago, we are heading into battle with the Cylons. We are fighting to ensure not only our survival, but the survival of those not capable of bringing the fight to the Cylons. There is something noble to us, the last remnants of humanity. We have not engaged in the wholesale slaughter the Cylons visited on us and our loved ones. We did not attack without warning or cause. We had forty years of peace and it was through no action of our own that it was ended. Now while we are trying to survive and once again the enemy is trying to finish the evil work they started. Let us ask ourselves; 'What kind of people do we think we are?' The Cylons counted on the Colonies being passive. Now is our chance to show that they counted wrong. You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. This destiny of ours is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved. Let us be sure that those who come after will say that we did everything that could be done. We finished the race. We kept them free. We kept the faith. If we fail, at least let our children and our children's children say that we justified our brief moment here. Today we will do what has to be done. If necessary, we shall do it again. Now is our chance to show the Cylons just how strong our will is. They will know that we will fight them at Cosmora, and any part of the far reaches of space that they dare challenge us. They will know that whatever the cost may be we will fight them to our last and we shall never surrender. I know that all of you will have the courage to stand up to this tyranny. Remember that courage is rightly considered the foremost of the virtues, for upon it, all others depend…"

Tolan paused briefly. He searched his soul for the right words to end his talk with, saying, "To command you is an honor, to serve with you is a pleasure, and to know you is to know the best traits of humanity. Therefore let us brace ourselves to our duty, and so bear ourselves that if we, the last of humanity and the remnants of Colonial society last for a thousand years, the people will look back on this and still say, 'This was their finest hour.'"

The CIC erupted into loud cheers. Tolan said nothing but let the wave of enthusiasm wash over him. 'The die is cast.' He thought to himself.

Andre walked over to where he was standing and in a voice loud enough only for Tolan to hear him asked, "Is it just me or does it sound like you're ready to meet your Makers?"

Tolan looked at him and smiled, "I am prepared to meet my Makers. Whether they're prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter."

Andre let out a chuckle and then the expression on his face became serious, "Are you sure you're not too at ease with the possibility that we may not come back?"

"For the record I have no desire to strike up the band and have them play 'Nearer My Gods to Thee' if that's what you're getting at."

"I wasn't too worried, just wanted to make sure your mind was where I thought it was." Andre said before saluting.

Tolan returned the salute, "We leave for Cosmora within the hour." He then left CIC followed closely by Lacey Tolan and Stadra Ah-Mun.

_**Atlantia:**_

"Alright Major, let me make sure I understand you correctly. You want to get a squadron of volunteers from my battlestars and fight the Cylons with Admiral Tolan?" Tyrone Carter said after hearing the proposal from Major Celina "Vixen" Cruz.

"That's correct Sir. When you consider the number of pilots we can muster for this task it will only help to reinforce Admiral Tolan's battle group." Cruz said. She hoped her pitch was going to work. The idea of idly sitting on the sidelines didn't sit well with her.

"Do you realize that none of our battlestars are anywhere near full strength in terms of vipers? As it stands we've had to take pilots from BSG-66 to fill in as CAGs and squadron leaders. Our pilots either received training on the _Maytoria _and _Melete_ or from one of the other battlestars." Carter noticed that Cruz seemed ready to take issue with his statement. "You know that I'm not including you and your fellow pilots that were rescued from _Atlantia_. The fact is that we are charged with leading this fleet out of the nebula and to safety. I wish Admiral Tolan wasn't staying behind but it's something that's got to be done."

Cruz stiffened, "With all due respect sir, I think you are abandoning your friend and leaving him to face certain death."

Carter's body didn't move as he was busy keeping his temper in check. "Major Cruz my friendship with Admiral Tolan has no bearing on this. He is the officer in charge of this fleet and if he gives me an order I must follow it. You would be wise not to bring that up again."

"I'm not saying you have to go in with your guns firing so you can go out in some blaze of glory, but we need to give them every chance they can get against the Cylons. Five basestars can make short work of three battlestars."

Carter's mind raced with countless thoughts. Finally he let out a deep breath, "You are to only get volunteers for this mission. I will let Jonasson, Nash, and Watts know about your plan and they will get a list of volunteers for you. When you have that done come see me and we'll work out the rest of the plan."

Cruz snapped to attention and saluted, "Aye aye Sir, thank you Sir!"

Carter returned the salute, "Dismissed Major."

**Eastern Alliance Flagship **_**Balius**_**:**

Not far down the corridor from his spacious quarters on the former Colonial Fleet heavy cruiser _Balius_ was the conference room that Magnus Ah-Mun used whenever he needed to speak with his lieutenants. Mike Conyers, Fred Spavero, Susan Helms, Krista Thurman, and Alton Mathis were seated while Magnus stood at a window that looked out into the nebula.

"Is what we're hearing true or just another Colonial Fleet deception?" Susan Helms asked. The tone of her voice gave away a hint of skepticism.

"I've read the reports and I have no reason to doubt that this is real." Magnus said. He was still standing at the window looking out at the many ships that were within view.

"I don't like it. We have never had a reason to believe those bastards. They'll betray us in a heartbeat! Didn't you see how quick they were to blame that _Olympica_ murder on us?" Alton Mathis said forcefully as he hit the table with his hand for added effect.

"I was going to bring that up later on in this meeting but it seems we have to get past this unfortunate occurrence here and now." Magnus said before turning around to face the table.

"What are you talking about?" Mike Conyers asked.

Magnus was now holding a large envelope, "I had _Olympica _Security send over photos of the weapon used in the attempted murder on Captain Pittman and the murder of Ensign Brooks. I then had a pleasant and informative chat with Karin Briggs, the head of _Olympica _Security."

"What made this so informative?" Conyers asked, still not sure as to what was going on.

"I'll reveal a secret to you that I've kept from the time I formed the Eastern Alliance. Every member, including you my trusted lieutenants, has a microchip implanted into the hilt of their ceremonial dagger that identifies its owner. It's a program I had developed that nobody but the designer and I knew of. I passed this information along to Miss Briggs." Magnus opened the envelope and began to set down pictures of the bloody knife used in the attempted murder of Reese Pittman and the murder of Sara Brooks.

"Does this mean that one of our people is guilty?" Spavero asked even though he already knew the answer.

"Exactly!" Magnus exclaimed. He looked at the eight guards stationed by the door to the conference room. He raised his left hand and motioned for them to come to the table.

"What's going on?" Susan Helms asked with more than a small trace of fear in her voice.

Magnus nodded and the guards immediately seized Alton Mathis. They handcuffed him and had him on his knees before he could react.

"I'm innocent sir! You know I would never betray you!" Mathis said as he struggled futilely against the guards.

"I find it hard to believe you Mr. Mathis. You seem to have forgotten that this isn't the first time you put me into a tight spot. Beyla comes to mind. Having the entire population put to death was a bit extreme, and you swore to me that you would never put me in that kind of position again." Magnus said with his usual calm and reserved demeanor.

"I remember sir and I wouldn't dare put you in that kind of position!"

Magnus smiled, "This is bad enough though. You put an officer in the hospital and murdered another, and I was ready to open fire on the Colonial Fleet because I was certain my people would never dream of putting me in that position."

"One of the others could have disobeyed your orders, I couldn't watch them every minute we were onboard the _Olympica_!"

Magnus walked over and patted Mathis on the shoulder, "As soon as I was finished speaking with Ms. Briggs I went and visited with your group from the _Olympica_, and they all have their knives.

Magnus squatted down on his knees and his eyes were level with Mathis', "I admit that I can forgive quite a bit, the fact that I kept you on as a lieutenant after that debacle on Beyla should attest to that. You see I'm a lot of things. I'm a pirate, a mercenary, a villain of a sort, and many other things that I neither can nor will deny. However one of the things I am is a father. My daughter is very dear to me; I love her and would never want her harmed." He saw a look of recognition come over Mathis' face, "You created a situation where I almost fired on the _Victorious_ and therefore would have fired on my beloved Stadra. If there is one thing you should know Mr. Mathis is that you screwed up in the worst possible way."

Mathis was silent but then said with a voice that was almost a whisper, "What's going to happen to me?"

Magnus smiled at him though the smile was far from warm, "In Storage Room Five I've had two long metal poles welded to the floor. They're flexible so that you can bend them down and they will snap right back up. Right now they're bent down and tied so that they form an "M" sort of shape. I'm going to have your hands and feet tied to these poles and when I give the order the ropes binding them will be cut with you still tied to it. I want you to think of that for just a moment."

"Magnus I'm sorry sir, please don't do this to me!" Mathis begged and pleaded.

"You who are without mercy now beg for it. Come now Mr. Mathis at least die with some shred of dignity." He got up on his feet and looked at his lieutenant one last time, "I know you're sorry, and soon you will realize just how sorry you are." With a wave of his hands the guards hauled Mathis up to his feet and carried him out of the conference room, his cries for mercy still echoing as the doors closed.

Magnus turned around and faced the table, "Now that I've taken care of that problem we shall move on to more pressing matters. I know Admiral Tolan is staying behind so that the rest of the Colonial Fleet, the civilians, and us can escape. As much as I appreciate the gesture I cannot in good conscience let him go into battle against a numerically superior force. So therefore I am going to lead a large portion of our forces into battle alongside our ally. Are there any objections?"

The rest of the lieutenants shook their heads vigorously.

"Very good, I've been going through our list of ships that I think would be appropriate for this mission and here is what we're going to do…" Magnus said as he began to go over the plans he had drawn up. Everything he suggested received the unanimous approval of his lieutenants.

_**Solace:**_

"I have to get a message off to Scott and Andre, they'll be thrilled!" Andrea Graystone exclaimed when she managed to get herself composed.

"That may be difficult to do at this moment." Mark Ladon said with enough hesitation that Andie couldn't help but notice it.

"Alright, now why would that be?"

"Because as we speak Admiral Tolan's battle group is preparing to leave the nebula and engage Hector Alonzo's Cylon baseships at Cosmora."

"How long have you known about this, and why didn't you tell me?" Andie demanded.

"We got wind of it about ten minutes before your sister came out of her coma. I wanted to give you the good news first."

"Where are the kids at, do they know?"

"They were in the room with Gianne when she awoke. Right now she and Daphne have the kids and they'll stay away until the doctors are through with their exams."

Andie breathed a sigh of relief. She had gotten to know Gianne somewhat well since Emily had been in the hospital, and she was grateful her friend Daphne was there with them as well. A thought suddenly dawned on her. If she hurried perhaps she could get the message to them before they left.

She broke away from Ladon's grasp and took off down the corridor, "I'm going to find the Communications Room and send a message over to them, and hopefully they haven't left yet."

**Ten Minutes Later:**

_**Victorious**_**:**

"Admiral there is a message coming in from the _Solace_, it's from Major Graystone." Petty Officer Evan Hawk announced from his communications console in the Flag CIC, what was formerly known as the Auxiliary CIC. The sound of a printer coming to life became audible and a second later a piece of paper had printed.

Tolan walked over and took the paper. He read it once, paused, and then read it again. He was silent, but he read it one more time to make sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him.

A smile came across his face and he closed his eyes. Mentally he said a prayer of thanks to the Gods and his body began to feel as though a huge weight had been lifted. He opened his eyes and looked around the Flag CIC, and realized that everyone was looking at him.

"Admiral may I ask why your eyes look so watery?" Lt. Aurora Zelada asked with a noticeable hint of concern to her voice.

"I'm fine Miss Zelada, just my allergies acting up."

She looked confused, "Forgive me Sir but I didn't think you had allergies."

He smiled at her, "The damn things sneak up on you at the worst times. Enough about me, I need to speak to Commander Graystone on an urgent matter before we depart. You're in charge until I return. Also I sent Ensign Ah-Mun and Cadet Tolan to the Atlantia; I would like to know when they have arrived there."

She saluted him and he returned it before leaving his CIC to go to the main one where his brother-in-law was commanding the _Victorious_. Emily was awake. In a day like this where it seemed to be nothing but doom and gloom he had the best piece of news he could possibly hope for. Even though he wouldn't admit to anyone but perhaps Andre or Andie the fact that his beloved wife had come out of her coma gave him an edge. He was still fighting to save the lives of those escaping the nebula, but he was going to make sure that he returned to his wife.

**Thirty-Five Minutes Later:**

_**Atlantia**_**:**

"I can't believe he kicked us off!" Lacey Tolan exclaimed as she and Stadra Ah-Mun walked down the corridor of _Atlantia_ that lead to Admiral Carter's quarters.

"I can believe he kicked you off, but I don't understand why he would send me packing!" Stadra responded as they turned a corner.

"It's crazy. I thought I lost him in the Cylon attack. Then I get him back and suddenly I'm sent to a battlestar that is going away from the action."

"Lacey I think that's the point. From the time I've spent around Admiral Tolan it's not surprising that he wouldn't want you harmed. He wants you safe, in my opinion that's an admirable quality."

"I guess it is, though I think it's the same reason you're here."

"I'm his chief-of-staff, so I should be there on the _Victorious_. Why would he want me here with you on the _Atlantia_?"

"I think I know why." Lacey said as they found their way around another corner.

"Do tell I'd love to hear it."

"I think he's trying to make nice with your father. He keeps you safe and the Pirate King will go along with him and not cause trouble."

Stadra shot her a questioning look, "Pirate King?"

Lacey held her hands up in mock surrender the way Chris Alonzo had done on the Helios, "It's one of the names he was given by some of the people in the press."

"I guess if I had paid more attention to the news I'd have known that. I won't hold it against you, now are you sure you want to go speak to Admiral Carter?"

"Why shouldn't we?" Lacey was confused by Stadra's hesitation.

"Well it's just that he has this reputation for being a real bastard. He's tall, seems to be made of solid rock, and he has that deep voice that's more like a volcanic rumble. If he is as close of a friend to Admiral Tolan as I hear he is then the odds are good that he's not in the best of moods."

"The problem is that you don't know him the way that I do. Behind that menacing bad-ass image of his is a…how should I phrase this…softer side that he doesn't show to every one."

"Do we have to go now though, can't we just hit the mess hall and come back later?"

Lacey smiled, "Tell you what. You take some deep breaths and get your nerves together and I'll go in and make sure he's not acting like a lion with a toothache."

Stadra nodded and leaned against the far wall to collect herself. Admiral Tolan was an intimidating person, or at least that's what his reputation would suggest. Carter's rep suggested that he was a meaner version of Tolan and the fact that his friend might not be coming back would only make that image she had of him worse.

During the ten minutes that she was standing outside Stadra thought about the events that had taken place and the ones that were still to come. Jamie Hamilton, the officer who piloted their raptor over to the _Atlantia_ came by and they chatted briefly. The door finally opened and Lacey motioned for Stadra to enter.

Tyrone Carter was standing by a table with a number of charts and lists of what seemed to be personnel laid out.

"Welcome aboard the _Atlantia_ Ensign Ah-Mun. I would have had you here sooner but I was having a brief talk with Cadet Tolan. She told me you wanted to compose yourself before you came in. I hope I gave you enough time."

Stadra was confused at first. Lacey was standing behind Carter and she winked at her. Suddenly she understood what was going on; Lacey was covering for the fact that she was slightly afraid of the admiral.

"Yes sir I'm feeling better now, the standoff with my father took a toll on me." She put on her most convincing smile, and it seemed to do the job.

"If I may ask sir why do you have all these chart and lists strewn about here on the table?" Stadra asked, she couldn't help but be curious as to what was going on.

Carter ran a hand over his shaved head, "I received an order from the admiral to go to Armistice Station and see if the battlestar _Kios_ is salvageable. I'm seeing if I have the manpower and resources to make such a thing possible. As you can imagine a majority of the battlestars are running on reduced manpower, and I doubt they can function if I make the crew compliments even lower."

The loudspeaker on the far side of the room crackled with static, "Admiral Carter a message just arrived for you from Magnus Ah-Mun." The voice belonged to Lt. Jared Vega, the _Atlantia's_ Communications Officer.

Carter walked over and pushed the intercom button, "What's the message Mr. Vega?"

There was a slight hesitation, "Well Sir I'm not quite sure how to say this."

Carter shook his head and then said, "If it's possible I would prefer a short sentence."

"Right Sir! Mr. Ah-Mun would like to inform you that he is going to send part of the Eastern Alliance, with him in command, to fight alongside Admiral Tolan against the Cylons."

"Thank you lieutenant, let Mr. Ah-Mun know that I will not keep him from going through with his plan and I wish him good luck against the Cylons."

He turned off the loudspeaker and turned to see that Stadra was staring at him in disbelief, "You need to trust me on this. I'm sending two squadrons of fighters to back up Admiral Tolan, and I'd feel better knowing that he has extra firepower."

Stadra didn't say anything, the look on her face showed just how unhappy she was.

**Pan Galactic spaceliner (**_**Galactica**_** RTF):**

Ken Sakura thumbed through the book he pulled out of his suitcase. The book was 'Lost Caprica City', a pictorial collection of famous buildings that had been demolished over time. As an architect he held a deep appreciation for these structures and also a feeling of sadness at the fate that had befallen them.

"When are we going to go to the swimming pool? You said we were leaving half an hour ago!" Five year old Chandler reminded him.

He closed the book and set it down. "You're right I did say that. Tell you what we'll do, let's say a prayer for you mom and then we'll go swimming."

Chandler's eyes got a little watery at the mention of his mom. After all these months he still missed her terribly and Ken hoped that the daily prayers for her safety would keep that hope alive in their son. He looked at him and could see his mother's features in his face. He had her nose, lips, and chin as well as her dark hair. Along with his father's naturally tan skin, Chandler Sakura favored him enough that there was no denying him.

They had been through a lot the day the Cylons attacked, they got what they could out of the house and somehow got on the Pan Galactic liner in time to escape Aquaria.

The two Sakuras got on one knee, put their hands together, and said a prayer to the Lords of Kobol to keep Naomi safe from harm so that they could be reunited one day.

_**Helios:**_

Naomi Sakura tried to get her body to relax. Like most of the group, her ship hadn't seen combat in months and there was a bit of nervous tension running through her body. She couldn't shake the feeling that this battle was going to be more difficult than Carillon had been. Not only that but she couldn't get her mind off of her husband and son. There was a rational part of her brain that told her that the odds of them escaping the Cylons weren't all that great. At the same time she had to hold on to the hope that they were still alive. It gave her something extra to fight for.

There was also the worst-case scenario, the reason she had been promoted to admiral. If Scott Tolan became unable to command BSG-66 then it would fall to her to lead the fight against the Cylons. While flag rank was a goal she had pursued since her days at the Academy, she hoped that she would only have to be in charge of her battlestar.

_**Sphinx:**_

Travis Omega simply couldn't shake the feeling of dread that had come over him. He had seen combat, but this was his first time in command of the _Sphinx_. He had faith in his crew and felt they would give only their best efforts towards defeating the Cylons. Seven months ago he was serving on the _Victorious_ as Tactical Officer. Now he was following in the steps of Bridget Woods, Timothy Nash, Charles Watts, and he would even include Tyrone Carter and Naomi Sakura on the list. They were sort of a family tree of commanders, a lineage traced back to Scott Tolan. He believed in his abilities and he hoped that he would be able to justify the faith that the admiral had shown in him since he first stepped onto the Vic.

_**Svalin:**_

Admiral Kronus and General Hyde were engaged in a discussion over the possibility of unifying her forces with Maxwell's Marines when he received the message that Scott Tolan was taking his battle group to Cosmora to fight the Cylons led by Hector Alonzo.

"Are going to charge in with our guns blazing?" Hyde asked.

Kronus shook his head, "We are to jump to Point Luck to rendezvous with Admiral Carter's task force and the civilian fleet." The disappointment in his voice was obvious.

"I suppose the question is what will you do now. Are you going to follow orders or go with your instincts? I know what I would do but that might differ slightly."

"Cosmora was where my career and my life changed dramatically. Now Tolan is fighting against a superior Cylon force like I did that day, and there's no telling what the result will be this time."

**Ostarsis:**

"How bad do you think this is?" Sharon Bonilla asked after handing over the message from Admiral Tolan.

"I hope it's not as bad as it seems. The Cylons found them, and they're being engaged. Once they can regroup they'll come and rescue us." Bridget Woods said as her eyes scanned the piece of paper.

"We've come so far Commander, wouldn't this news demoralize everyone?"

She sat the message down on her makeshift desk, "Sharon we've been here over seven months and we've stayed hopeful when there was even less chance that we were going to be rescued.

"I know Ma'am, but this is our one chance and the Cylons are taking it away. What if they damage the Fleet so badly that a rescue can't be attempted?"

Bridget walked over and put a reassuring hand on Sharon's shoulder, "They will rescue us. I want us to sit on this for a few days until we hear more and we can go from there. This is going to stay between us for the time being. Do you understand?"

Sharon nodded and then turned to leave the room. She stopped and turned around, "There was a private message from Admiral Tolan. I almost forgot to give it to you."

She handed a folded piece of paper that was in the pocket of her jeans. She then left the room, closing the door behind her.

Bridget unfolded the message and read the message from Scott. It simply said, 'I have not forgotten, I will come and rescue you.'

**Cosmora:**

Scott Tolan knew that he should have reinforcements, but his agreement with Hector kept him from bringing in more guns. Now it was his ship, the _Sphinx_, and the _Helios_ against five Cylon baseships commanded by Hector Alonzo.

"Admiral there is a communication coming from the lead Cylon baseship, it's Hector Alonzo." Hawk announced.

"Put him on the loudspeaker." Tolan ordered.

A crackling sound was heard and then there was Hector's voice, "Greetings Admiral! As you can see I'm alive and well, not to mention the fact that I'm now the commander of a battle group larger than yours."

"Well then Hector if you would be kind enough to line your baseships in a row I'll give you a live-fire demonstration as a professional courtesy from one battle group commander to another."

"Ah that famous Tolan sarcasm, does that come naturally? Maybe your father and brother taught you that? Oh wait, they're dead. So sorry, hope I didn't hit a nerve."

"That is the most pathetic attempt at trash-talking I've seen in years! Surely you can bring better ammo than that."

"Seriously Tolan let me offer you a way out of this. I'm not a man without mercy and if you surrender your forces to the Cylons then I can allow most of your people to live. Of course you and most of the higher-ranking officers will be executed to set an example. Think of it this way, you will save so many by making such a sacrifice. How does that sound?"

"Let me just say that I've done my share of dances during my Colonial Fleet career. I haven't been hit in the head enough during those boxing matches for me to think that's actually a good idea!"

"Let me appeal to your reasonable side here. You can't seem to keep an XO or CAG for very long, you've been injured repeatedly since you've been on the run from the Cylons. If it wasn't for Old Man Kronus or your lapdog Carter you'd have died long ago. In the entire time I've known you what have you done to show that you are actually a decent fighter?"

"That time on the _Ventura_ comes to mind, I don't believe you got in a single hit. Let's be honest here, this goes all the way back to when you tried to sack me as the commander of the _Victorious_. I agreed to meet you with just my battlestars, and here I am. Just once I wish you could actually add something constructive to a conversation."

"Tell you what I'll do. I'll let my raiders do the talking for me; I've been waiting so long for this Tolan. Just remember that payback is a bitch." Hector said before the line went dead.

"Admiral the baseships are moving into position and launching raiders!" Zelada stated excitedly from her tactical console.

Tolan turned his attention to Petty Officer Hawk, "Send a message to the battlestar commanders to execute Defensive Maneuver Theta Nine A and take positions to form the Triangle Offense as well. Launch all squadrons and begin a firing solution to disrupt the raiders. Remind them that I have authorized the use of nuclear weapons, but do not fire until I have given the order." He watched the battle begin to develop on the DRADIS, like pieces on a game board his battlestars and the Cylon baseships set up for the upcoming fight.


	14. Chapter 14: A Time to Stand

_**Victorious**_**:**

"Mr. Hawk I want you to go ahead and send word to Commander Graystone, as well as the other two battlestars. I want their gunnery crews to begin firing ranging shots and have targeting solutions plotted for the main batteries on the leading baseship. All Viper wings are to engage the raiders and try and draw them away from us. Every available raptor will be on standby for S.A.R missions for downed pilots. I also want Damage Control parties equipped and ready to move on a moments notice." Tolan ordered as the DRADIS displayed the formations of Cylon raiders that had just been launched.

Scott Tolan knew that at this moment the rest of the Colonial Fleet and the civilian ships were being led away by Tyrone Carter. There was no doubt that this battle was going to be as intense as the original Battle of Cosmora had been. Since the Cylon attack seven months ago he had been in combat, but there was a feeling that he couldn't shake. Something was telling him that this was going to be larger than the previous battles of Lascaris and Carillon. He put all of his efforts into clamping down on any feelings that would distract him from the task at hand. Right now his crew needed to see the strong leadership they had become accustomed to.

_**Svalin**_**:**

"You've been staring out that window for several minutes now and you haven't made the slightest sound. What's the matter Admiral?" General Alice Hyde asked with some concern.

"I was remembering Cosmora, when the Fourth Fleet engaged the Cylons. How much do you know about that battle?" Kronus asked, still looking out into space.

Hyde shrugged, "I'm afraid that I know very little. Just that you won us a great victory that day. I never bothered to learn more about it."

"I had been posted to the battlestar _Rycon_ as Tactical Officer. The _Rycon_ was assigned to the Fourth Fleet along with the battlestars _Achilles_, _Aeneas_, _Reprisal_, _Athena_, and _Etain_. The _Mephitis_ had been part of the Sixth Fleet. However after other battlestars were lost in the Battle of Nerio she was assigned to us for the Cosmora operation." Kronus said, his gaze still looking off into some unseen place in the distance.

"What was it that got you moved up the ranks so quickly after the battle?" Hyde asked, genuinely intrigued.

"Admiral Harrell, the commanders of the battlestars, their XOs, and others above me in rank were killed in the battle. The _Achilles_ had been boarded by the Cylons and Commander Rigel jumped the ship away before they lost control to the toasters. The _Rycon_ was severely damaged, _Aeneas_ and _Etain_ were destroyed, and the _Reprisal_ was about as damaged as we were. I assumed command of the fleet and with some creative tactical maneuvers turned the tide and won the day. I was an ace pilot when I went into that battle and I left it a hero." Kronus said this as his mind ran the scenes from that day. He could still see the flames that had erupted in the CIC, the bodies of his commander and the XO, the screams of the wounded, and the confusion as to what to do next.

"Tell me what our next move is. Are you going to join up with Carter, or are you going to give Tolan the added muscle from these rail gun turrets you have at your disposal?"

**Hector Alonzo's Baseship: **

"If I know Tolan like I think I do then he's going to use his vipers to keep our raiders from launching missiles against the battlestars." Kimmel said to Hector.

"We have the strength here to defeat them easily; I don't see that being too much of a problem." Hector said without any concern.

"We have the numbers advantage but it's not that large of an advantage. I believe Tolan still has some of the experimental weapons on his ships, and they've done quite a bit of damage to us the last time we engaged him." Kimmel tried to impress upon Hector the need for more caution.

"Well then if we don't have enough forces then we simply call in more." Hector said as he turned to William Arnold. "Mr. Arnold where are the closest baseships?"

Arnold conferred with the other six Cylons before answering, "We have a squadron of seven baseships guarding Ostarsis. They're needed in case anyone attempts a rescue."

"What else do you have guarding it?"

"There are a large number of gun platforms." Arnold said before Hector cut him off.

"That settles it then, we call in those baseships and then hammer Tolan and his precious battle group."

Kimmel then interjected, "The agreement was that you would face him with your ships against his. It seems dishonorable to fight this way."

"Considering the way you started this war, the last thing you should be doing is questioning my tactics. You may have worked with the man but this is my show and I'm the one calling the shots. I can't help the fact that you're scared of Scott Tolan, but I'm not and I am going to use every trick in my playbook to win this. Now if that means I change the rules and cheat then so be it, but I'll be damned if I lose to that son of a bitch. So, Admiral Kimmel, get me those baseships!"

Kimmel was quiet for a few seconds before bowing his head, "By your command."

**_Atlantia_: **

"The vipers are in the tubes and ready to be launched at your command, Sir." Ensign Reva Webb announced.

"Very well then, let's jump to Cosmora and launch them." Tyrone Carter ordered as he looked up at the DRADIS. He had left Stadra Ah-Mun and Lacey Tolan in his quarters. His place was in CIC.

"Jump will commence in twenty seconds." Webb announced.

Twenty seconds later they were at the edge of the storm that was the Second Battle of Cosmora.

Carter ordered a channel opened to the Vipers in the launch tubes, "In to the face of death you go not for glory, not for honor, not for fame, but for the greater good of Humanity's survival. May the Lords of Kobol watch over you and help to guide your aim and see you through this battle. So say we all."

Those on duty in the CIC echoed the sentiment. Once Carter said it they also added a 'So say we all.'

With his attempt at motivation done he then gave his next order, "Launch Major Cruz's squadron and send a message to Admiral Tolan for me. Tell him 'Good hunting.'" Carter waited for a reply while they prepared to jump to Point Luck.

"Admiral Carter," Lt. Jared Vega announced, "There is a message coming in from Admiral Tolan. It says, 'I'll see you at Point Luck.'"

**Cosmora: **

"Alright let's show these toasters they picked the wrong fleet to frak with! Weapons free…good hunting." Captain Larsen 'Magic' Banks said as he flew the lead viper towards the oncoming Cylon raiders. It was the first time he'd been in the cockpit of a viper since flight school, but he felt confident enough with his piloting skills.

"Roger that CAG, it's payback time!" Ensign Alejandra 'Grass' Santos said.

"We got your back out here Magic just lead us in!" The voice belonged to Lieutenant Jamaal 'Big Daddy' Powers

The other pilots in the squadron echoed similar sentiments and the vipers roared towards the oncoming raiders.

The blackness of space came alive with the fire from the flak batteries of the _Victorious _and the other battlestars.

The squadron split up the minute the raiders began to return their fire. The space between the two forces became a deadly symphony of flames and explosions.

**Ostarsis: **

He had been 'relaxing' with the beautiful prisoner he had spared from the fertility experiments; now he sat at the table in the top floor suite of the luxurious Dia Griene Hotel. The Cylon known as 'Number One' read the message he had just received. "They want all of our baseships sent to Cosmora to help Mr. Alonzo with his fight."

"Will you be doing that?" The woman asked. Her name was Nevaeh Ratliff, and before the Cylons attacked she had been one of the most successful actresses in the movie industry. The twenty-nine year old was the only daughter of director Dylan Ratliff, and all her life the movies seemed to be the only calling for her. She always took pride in her looks. She had been vacationing on Ostarsis when the Cylons invaded and captured the moon.

She had always believed that most women would kill to have her tall lithe body, shimmering brown hair, and mesmerizing brown eyes. Before the attacks she felt like she was the most beautiful woman in Colonial society. Now she felt like a cheap mistress who had little value, she was just a toy for this Human/Cylon bastard.

"A chance to knock out one of the strongest collections of the Colonial Fleet, of course we'll jump at it. I just hate the idea of being ordered around by a human."

Nevaeh swallowed hard before asking, "What will happen to us?"

"Nothing that you need to concern yourself with, we'll destroy this task force and then come back and finish what we started. Just make yourself comfortable and when I come back we can pick up where we left off." He stood up and got dressed to leave. Before leaving he told her, "You're free to move about the hotel, and don't think that anyone will come for you. Just because the baseships are leaving doesn't mean that this moon isn't still surrounding by the gun platforms that will tear any ship to shreds." He winked and left the room.

'I have to find Bridget and let her know this!' Nevaeh had served as a source of intelligence for the Resistance whenever she could. This was news that they could certainly use. She got out of the bed and dressed quickly. She stood in front of the mirror to see how she looked. To most people she was still a stunning knockout, and maybe if she could help to get herself and others rescued off of Ostarsis maybe she could hold herself in the same regard. Since her imprisonment she felt cheap and used. She had grown up in the city of Wenona, the movie capital of not only Caprica but all of the Colonies. She had heard stories of actresses who flocked to the city hoping to become famous and ending up with a far worse fate. Nevaeh felt like a prostitute, a woman who allowed her body to be used. There had been quite a few times when she would lay in bed and tell herself that she was staving off a fate worse than anything she could imagine.

She walked down the hallway and thought about Bridget Woods. The Colonial Fleet commander had discovered her at the small house she had been given while she 'amused' the Cylon. He picked a house with a small pool so that she would have a way to stay in shape.

Bridget had broken into the house looking for supplies. She had discovered Nevaeh, and instead of rescuing her asked if she could stay and be a source of information for the Resistance.

The last time they met was two months ago. She had broken down in tears and told Bridget how low in regard she held herself. The words she was told that night stayed with her and she tried to remember them now, 'One thing you cannot afford ever to do is to feel sorry for yourself.'

Bridget had told her that she could relate to the way she was feeling about herself. When she asked her how, the commander smiled and told her not to ask how she knew, just that she did.

_**Helios**_**:**

"All vipers have been launched and all weapons are online and firing." Lt. Jean-Philippe "J.P." Martel announced.

"Very good…" Naomi Sakura said as she looked up at the DRADIS. With the way the Triangle Offense had been set up the Victorious was the lead ship. Behind it the Helios was stationed on the right and the Sphinx on the left. "I want us to target the two baseships on our flank."

"If I may admiral we may want to consider equipping our raptors with missiles to assist the vipers with the raiders. They can make a missile run and then stay back for any Search and Rescue operations that will need to be undertaken." Colonel Jose Cordova said as he walked up to where Sakura was standing.

"I'll run it by Admiral Tolan but I don't think he'll say 'No' to it. Go ahead and have the ordinance crews get to work on it." She said as the main guns of the Helios began firing its first volleys towards the baseships.

"What if he doesn't go with it will you do it anyway?" Cordova asked though he knew the answer.

Naomi flashed him a sly smile, "Absolutely, I am a firm believer that it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission."

"I'm sending the message to Admiral Tolan now; I'll let you know as soon as I receive a reply." Ensign Molly Olsen announced.

"Admiral, Major Spencer's viper was just destroyed…he's dead Ma'am." Martel announced and then looked at Sakura to find out what he needed to do next.

"Alright…" Naomi said and took a deep breath to clear her mind. "Let Nelson know that she is the new CAG. Cunningham is going to take over for Squadron One." She was referring to Captain Aimee "Bullet" Nelson, the leader of Viper Squadron Two. The task of leading the remnants of Squadron One fell to Lieutenant Jacob "Pyro" Cunningham.

"Admiral Tolan just sent a reply to your message he says, 'Do it!' and that's it." Olsen said.

"That's all he needs to say." Naomi said before turning her attention to the DRADIS. The ship shook as a Cylon missile found its way through the firing solution and scored a hit on the _Helios_. She knew it wouldn't be the last.

_**Victorious**_**:**

"Commander there was a small detonation near MarDet. Damage control crews are on the way." Major Anton Pontiere announced. He would probably get a promotion to Colonel when this was over, but for the time being he was still a Major and pulling double duty as Tactical Officer and XO.

"Very good XO, give me an update when they have the situation under control." Commander Andre Graystone said as he looked up at the DRADIS. Normally battle damage was a problem. In this case MarDet, the short name for the Marine Detachment area, was practically deserted since the Marines had been stationed at vital locations in case the _Victorious _was boarded.

"Commander, Admiral Tolan wishes to have a word with you." Lt. Jessica Jennings announced from her communications console.

"Very well, patch him through." Andre said as he picked up the receiver.

"Andre, I want to put the _Victorious_ closer to the _Sphinx_. I'm hoping we can keep some of the heavy stuff from hitting her."

"Considering we haven't taken any serious damage I don't think that'll be a problem Sir." Andre almost called him 'Scott' but remembered that right now he was his commanding officer and not his brother-in-law.

"_Helios_ is reporting damage to their Aft Auxiliary Generator, but as long as their Primary Generator holds then they should be fine."

**Hector Alonzo's Baseship:**

The doors to the interrogation room opened and in walked Gloria Alonzo, Louise Alonzo, and Sasha Evans. The Alonzo women came in first, followed by Evans. The latter was holding a small handgun.

"Thank you Sasha for bringing them to me, they'll be needed here for the time being." Three said as she walked to where the women were standing.

"What do you need Louise and me here for?" Gloria asked, though in her mind she had a suspicion as to why she was here.

"I've been questioning your son about the capabilities of the Colonial Fleet ships he has served on. I fear he's been less-than-forthcoming. I'll leave you alone with him and perhaps you can talk some sense into him. You have fifteen minutes to make that happen and you don't want me to tell you the consequences if you can't persuade him to help me." She turned and left the room.

"I think he might be behind that partition." Sasha said, pointing to a white sheet partition on the other side of the room.

"I'll go look." Gloria said. She leaned over and looked at Louise, "I'm going to check on Chris. You be a good girl and stay here until I come back."

Louise nodded and Gloria walked over to the partition. She stepped behind and when she saw Chris her hand went to her mouth to stifle a scream.

Chris' face was swollen from the beating he had endured, and his left eye looked as though it had been closed from the swelling. There were deep bruises over most of his face and on his neck. The blood on his head had dried and matted his hair.

"Chris…are you awake?" Gloria asked quietly, struggling to find her voice.

His right eye opened slightly and Gloria was sure she saw a glimmer of recognition. He reached out a hand to her and she rushed over to take it. She kissed it and tried to run her fingers though his hair but he winced with pain. He turned his face away from her and proceeded to spit blood onto the floor.

"She asked me questions the first time she talked to me." He said weakly, "The second time she didn't even speak to me, she just hit me over and over…" It was then that Chris broke down crying.

Gloria tried to hold him as best she could. Her son hadn't cried since he was little and had nightmares about monsters in his closet. That brought back memories to her and she felt her eyes becoming wet with tears. The parental side of her ached with watching the suffering her one-time baby boy had endured.

Her mind went to Hector, and a rage filled her mind. This was all Hector's doing, the bastard had sided with the Cylons. If he hadn't have had that admiral kidnap them then they wouldn't be on this ship and Chris wouldn't have been tortured by that psychotic woman.

"It's going to be ok sweetie; I won't let anything else happen to you."

"Perhaps we should just put him out of his misery; all I need is one shot." Sasha said as she walked up behind Gloria and Chris.

"I didn't invite you over here Sasha; go back to the other side of the room." Gloria said, though her eyes never left her son's battered body.

"You know he won't talk, especially if he hasn't cracked yet. I can make it quick and painless for him. He won't suffer…" She leveled the small handgun at Chris' head.

"Get away from him you bitch!" Gloria shouted at her. She let Chris' head gently fall back to the bed and then stood up and faced Sasha.

"Don't you understand the position you're in?" Sasha asked. The gun was still pointed in Gloria's direction.

"I won't let that Cylon get her hands on my son and I'll be damned if I let you get close enough to put a bullet through his head!"

Sasha flashed a wicked smile, "Wow, I never thought you had such fight in you."

"You don't know how some mothers fight to keep their children safe." Gloria made eye contact with Sasha and kept her gaze fixed.

"Noble, but I got the gun so that means I make the rules." Sasha said before the room shook.

The basestar had taken a direct hit from a missile from the Victorious. The force from the impact shook the sections near where the explosion occurred. Sasha went crashing into Gloria and the two women struggled on the ground. In the process of fending off the blows from Sasha, Gloria knocked the gun out of her hand and it went flying across the room.

Sasha tried to knee Gloria in the abdomen, but she managed to move enough to keep the blow from doing severe damage. The ship shook violently from another missile impact and immediately a gunshot was heard and Sasha tumbled off and rolled on the floor in obvious pain. There was a wound on her upper thigh, though Gloria couldn't tell how severe it was since the woman wouldn't stop rolling around.

"Don't hurt my mommy!" The little girl shouted at Sasha as she walked over to her mom and handed over the gun.

Gloria held it in her hand wondering what to do next. For a brief moment she had the idea of shooting Sasha but realized she would be doing her a favor.

Sasha had quit rolling around, and now sobbed in between bouts of hitting the floor with her fists.

"I've been giving this some thought, and you can have Hector all to yourself. He was never that great in bed anyway. In fact, the only good thing he did for me was give me my two children."

She was in the process of helping Chris off of the bed when the doors opened and the Cylon entered. Gloria realized she didn't have much time to react so she said a quick prayer and aimed the gun as best she could. She squeezed the trigger and the woman went down before she could utter a word.

They walked out the door; Gloria was supporting Chris as they entered the hallway. This area was surprisingly quiet. She'd have expected some of the Cylons would be milling about or keeping guard.

A woman turned the corner and Gloria recognized her as one of the Cylons. She forgot what number she had been referred to, just that the woman had very tan skin and long black hair

"Come with me if you want off this ship." She said as she walked over and supported the other side of Chris' body.

As they began walking Gloria looked over at the woman with confusion, "Why are you doing this?"

The Cylon kept looking ahead, "Your husband has started ordering us around like he's the one that's in charge. We took a vote on it and you and your family are being released."

"How will we get away?"

"I'm going to put the three of your on a heavy raider and give it orders to take you to the battlestar of your choice."

"Won't we be shot during the battle?"

"You are guaranteed to die if you stay here, at least by doing this there's a chance you'll live. What do you want to do?"

Gloria realized that she had no choice, "Lead us to the raider."

They started leaving the room when Louise broke away and ran towards Sasha. When she reached her the little girl gave the woman one good kick. The little girl probably didn't hurt her any, not that Sasha would have noticed with having to deal with the pain of being shot.

"Good girl." Gloria said when Louise got back to her and the Cylon. She had a very satisfied smile on her face.

_**Sphinx**_**:**

The missile impact caused the lights in the CIC to flicker, causing Commander Travis Omega to take in a deep breath.

"Sitrep!" He called out.

"We have hull breaches on Decks 4 through 7 on the forward port side. Damage control teams are on their way." Colonel Chad Steele said after looking at Lt. Stephanie Bridges' Tactical Console.

"Commander, Admiral Tolan is asking for an update on our status." Ensign Javier Valenzuela, the Communication Officer, announced.

"Tell him that if it's possible we could use some help with drawing some of this enemy fire away from us." Omega said before adding, "Also ask if he has authorized nuclear weapons usage." With their limited supplies the use of the nuclear missiles had been prohibited unless in case of emergency. 'If this keeps up we may find ourselves in one of those situations.' He thought to himself.

_**Victorious**_**:**

"We have multiple DRADIS contacts to the rear of our fleet." Lt. Zelada announced.

"Are they friendly?" Tolan asked, knowing that if the new arrivals were Cylons he'd have to find a more creative battle plan.

"I'm showing the entire Eastern Alliance fleet!" Zelada exclaimed once she had the identities of the vessels.

Petty Officer Hawk then informed him that Magnus Ah-Mun was requesting a moment of his time. Tolan nodded and picked up the receiver next to him.

"How's the second-best fleet in the Colonies?" Magnus asked him.

Tolan didn't waste any time with his reply, "You should know."

"I put my ships at your disposal Admiral Tolan, let me know where you need us to fight and we'll be there."

"You have one battle cruiser and fourteen freighters, are you sure your ships can survive?" He was appreciative for the help, but sending any of the ships other than the _Balius_ was a borderline suicide mission.

"I haven't been completely honest with you. My ships have been rebuilt so that they look decrepit but are actually more powerful than they appear. Watch, my good admiral, and you'll see why the Eastern Alliance has been so successful."

"Very well, I want your ships to protect the _Sphinx_. She's taken a pounding from the Cylons and I'm not sure how much more she can take."

"One last question for you, shall I have my crew prepare boarding parties for any of the baseships?"

"If you think you can pull that off then you're more than welcome to try." Tolan said, wondering if Magnus Ah-Mun could actually pull it off.

"Good hunting admiral, we shall sit down with a bottle of my finest liquor when this over." Magnus said. He sounded as though he had no doubt that he'd survive.

"I look forward to it Mr. Ah-Mun." Tolan said before motioning to Hawk to sever the connection.

"DRADIS contacts bearing Zero-Echo-Nine, seven Cylon baseships have jumped into orbit near Cosmora." Zelada reported, trying to keep her voice from betraying the sense of dread she was feeling.

"Good thing our cavalry just showed up." Tolan said, mostly to himself.

"If I may Sir, they're pirates." Zelada protested.

"Lieutenant, with the way odds look right now I'll take any help I can get." Tolan said.

**Cosmora:**

"Scratch one toaster!" Ensign Weston 'Riddler' Zimmerman exclaimed after getting his first kill of the battle.

"Great job Riddler, go get some more of them toasters." Magic said before maneuvering out of the way of an incoming raider that was trying to get a lock on him. 'I don't think so!' He thought to himself before pivoting the nose of his viper around with his thrusters and dispatching the raider.

"Hey Magic are you going to be able to go back to being a raptor pilot?" Lt. Alexis 'Smoke' Baldwin, the commanding officer of Viper Squadron Two asked.

"As much fun as I'm having with this I doubt it!" Magic said.

"_Victorious_ to CAG do you copy?" Lt. Jessica Jennings' voice crackled over his communications channel.

"This is the CAG, I copy."

"CAG the CO and the Admiral want you to lead your squadron over to the _Sphinx_ to provide extra protection against the raiders."

"I copy you _Victorious_; we'll keep the _Sphinx_ safe." Magic said before directing his squadron to head over to the wounded battlestar.

As Squadron One began heading away from the _Victorious_ they couldn't see the heavy raider that was making its way through the flak screen the battlestar was firing and seemed sure to board the ship.

_**Balius**_**:**

"Another hit, Sir! The outermost baseship is taking plenty of damage." Jarvis Cole exclaimed from his tactical station as another of the shells from the _Balius'_ main guns found its mark.

"Great shooting, we'll give the Cylons a run for their money!" Magnus Ah-Mun said. He had been sitting in his 'commander's chair' that he had installed when he came into possession of the _Balius_.

"Our ships are holding their own, only minor damage has been reported. I think your retrofitting plan is paying off dividends." Neal Williams said. He served as Magnus' second-in-command on the Balius. He had served in the Colonial Fleet, until he was court-martialed following an UNREP accident onboard the battlestar **Alinor**_**. Once he had done his time at the military prison Fort Milledge on the Isle of **_Brena on Caprica. With no future and the loss of all of his pay and benefits from the Colonial Fleet he found his way to the Eastern Alliance and had been invaluable to Ah-Mun.

"Of course that was going to work, glad I didn't lose faith in my ability to be creative." Magnus said. He had redone the interiors of the freighters and other ships that he had come into possession of. They looked non-lethal on the outside but underneath the hull plating was some of the strongest armor and powerful weapons that enabled them to hunt and attack their quarry.

"Ready as many boarding parties as we can, we're going to take us a baseship." Magnus said as he turned to face Williams. "You are going to lead the boarders; your goal is to take over the lead baseship. The one that seems to be focusing its attentions on the Victorious, it should be damaged enough to where we can take it more easily than the others."

"A good plan, however our intelligence shows that it's an old model from the War forty years ago. Why take that one?"

Magnus smiled, "Because I just blew up our home base and we need a new one. An older model baseship can be refitted to serve that purpose. I'm assuming that this one is where the attack is being led from so taking it out of the battle can create confusion and we always win when we create that."

Williams saluted, "Aye Sir, we'll get the boarding parties on there and we'll have the baseship in very little time."

Magnus stood up and shook Williams' hand, "That's what I like about you Neal, you get the job done."

Williams was leaving when Magnus had another idea, "If we're lucky we can capture a second baseship and give it to those Fleet guys as a gift."

Everyone in the CIC laughed at that comment. Neal Williams left the room still laughing.

'The Admirals will really love me if I pull that stunt off!' Magnus Ah-Mun thought to himself.

_**Victorious**_**:**

"Send the authorization to the _Helios_ and _Sphinx_. They are free to use tactical nuclear weapons at their discretion." Tolan gave the order knowing that with Hector now having an overwhelming advantage in terms of numbers he'd have to use every weapon at his disposal.

"_Helios_ and _Sphinx_ confirm transmission of codes and send their thanks." Hawk announced moments later.

"Admiral we've just received a report from Port Airlock Four." Zelada said before becoming quiet for a moment. "We've been boarded by the Cylons…"

"Has Commander Graystone initiated any boarding procedures?" Tolan asked, not wanting to step on his brother-in-law's toes.

"He has instructed the Marines to repel the boarders as well as guarding Aft Damage Control and Auxiliary Fire Control." Zelada said as she searched through the incoming battle reports from the _Victorious_' CIC.

"I have a report from Sergeant Major Benton and Lieutenant Cervantes. They are reporting that they've discovered two civilians and one officer that the Cylons dropped off next to the Carpentry Shop on Deck Six." Zelada said as she scanned for more details.

"Who are they and why do the Cylons have them?" Tolan asked out loud. He knew he'd have an answer soon enough.

Zelada's face took on a confused look, "Admiral the civilians have been identified as Gloria, Louise, and Christopher Alonzo. They've been taken to sick bay though it looks like Lt. Alonzo is the only one who really requires medical attention."

Tolan shook his head trying to figure out why the Alonzo's were brought on board, 'Of all the ships to bring them on, why did they pick _Victorious_?' He thought to himself.

"I just received a report that there is a small group of Cylons that were seen in the area of the Brig." Zelada informed him when she received the report.

Tolan thought about it for a second and then it dawned on him. They were going to rescue Alice Copeland!

"Add extra Marines to the ones that are currently guarding the heavy raider. We need to make sure the Cylons don't get off this ship!" He thought about it and then added, "Try to spare Miss Copeland's life, if she attacks try to at least wound her to where she can't fight back. I want a few Marines to check on the Brig and give me a status report."

_**Victorious**_** (Brig): **

"I hope that this noise is worth it, I don't know how much more of this I can take!" Abbie Moreland exclaimed as the room shook following the loud boom from an impact of some kind.

"Some missiles must have found their way through the defenses. I wish the admiral had been kind enough to put us off before he went charging into battle." Josh Moreland said as he lay on the bed in their cell.

"I'm sure it's punishment for what we did. It seems we don't meet the qualifications for 'non-essential personnel' so we tough it out with the crew." Dr. Daimon Ravashol said as he did all he could to avoid the gaze of Alice Copeland. The Cylon had kept her eyes locked on him and seemed to be enjoying the suffering her three former colleagues were going through.

"That was a strange meeting with Miss Hamilton; I'd have never thought she'd do that." Josh said with amazement. He was rattled like his sister was, but he was trying to talk and not show it.

"I know what you mean. She just walked up to me and in no uncertain terms told me that she forgave me and that she'd be damned if I let her ruin her life. What is so strange about the whole thing is I think she meant it. I had no idea that the young woman had such inner strength."

Before anyone could respond there was a commotion at the entrance to the brig. The two Marines guarding them got up to investigate but were cut down by gunfire. In walked four centurions and a female Cylon. The woman and Alice Copeland smiled at each other.

"Hello Eight, it's good to see you." Alice said as she realized that she was to be rescued.

"Hello Six. You look better than we had anticipated."

"I've been treated well; the commanding officer made sure his crew knew that I wasn't to be harmed in any way." Alice then turned her gaze back towards Ravashol and the Morelands, "Which is far more than I can say about these three. If you knew what they talked about doing to be before this ship rescued us your blood would run cold."

"We had a Four that had been posing as a Colonial Fleet officer. One of the first things he told us was about your captivity here. We came up with a plan to rescue you; so far it's worked perfectly." Eight said before she walked over to one of the dead Marines and took a key off of his uniform. She then inserted it and opened both cell doors.

"You're coming with us Six, and we'll deal with these three if you want us to." Eight then ordered the centurions to stand at the entrance to the cell so that Ravashol and the Morelands couldn't escape.

"They'll fire on your order. Just give the word and they'll be taken care of." Eight said as she looked at her fellow Cylon.

She put a hand on Eight's shoulder, "We can use them."

Eight raised an eyebrow, "How so?"

"They were able to clone a human baby using DNA from the good doctor and one of the female pilots. I'm sure Four could use their assistance." She then turned to look at Ravashol, "What do you say doctor, your service in exchange for your life and the lives of your two assistants?"

Ravashol nodded his agreement, "Very well Miss Copeland you have a deal. Now please get us out of here!"

**Hector Alonzo's Baseship:**

"They did what?" Hector Alonzo asked incredulously.

"There was a vote taken among the seven models and we decided that you were acting with a heavier hand than we intended. We've taken your wife and children and returned them to the_ Victorious_." Kimmel told him matter-of-factly.

"That's crazy! I might have gotten a bit caught up in the moment, but it's all Tolan's fault. I have a chance to pay him back for the way he treated me the past seven months. You can't blame me for wanting to make sure he's destroyed with all the firepower I can muster." Alonzo tried to justify his actions at the beginning of the battle.

"Look at what bringing in the Ostarsis group did. Right now we have the entire Eastern Alliance fleet joining this battle and we've already had three baseships forced to withdraw." Kimmel told him.

"Have the enemy ships attacked them further?"

Kimmel shook his head, "We've begun to wonder if they're just trying to weaken us instead of destroying us. Once baseships began to withdraw they simply began to focus on another one."

_**Victorious**_**:**

"Any more reports about the Cylon boarding parties?" Commander Andre Graystone asked Lieutenant Jessica Jennings.

"There are reports of four groups of Cylons onboard. One is being engaged near Dispersing, another near the Forward Machine Shop, the third is being reported in the vicinity of the Deck Seven Aft Weapons Locker, and the last one is not far from the Post Office."

"Very good, let me know of any progress that's being made. It's imperative that we keep them from taking over this ship." Graystone then thought, 'I'll order her scuttled before I let the Cylons control her.'

"Major Pontiere, load all tubes with nuclear missiles. We're going to launch a barrage against the baseships closest to us."

"I have a message from Magnus Ah-Mun." Jennings announced, "He says that he would be most grateful if you left the lead Cylon baseship to his boarding parties. He'll either capture it or die trying."

Andre smiled, "Let him have at it, and wish him good luck for me." He knew that to take over a Cylon baseship with a group of pirates would require more than luck but he'd stay optimistic.

_**Helios**_**:**

"Admiral Sakura we're receiving a message from the _Victorious_." Ensign Olsen announced.

"What does it say?" Sakura said as she braced herself as another missile struck the _Helios_.

"There's minor damage to the Port Flight Pod, nothing too serious though." Lieutenant Martel reported.

"That's a relief. Ms. Olsen what was the message from the _Victorious_?" Sakura asked.

"It's from Admiral Tolan. He's authorizing the use of nuclear weapons." Olsen said with a bit of astonishment.

Colonel Jose Cordova walked up beside her from the tactical console, "Doesn't it seem a bit too early in the battle to bring out the big weapons?"

Naomi Sakura glanced up at the DRADIS display, "Looking at all those baseships, it appears the nukes are the one thing we have to even the odds."

_**Sphinx**_**:**

Omega breathed a sigh of relief when he heard the authorization for the use of nuclear weapons. The Sphinx had taken a bit of a pounding but with the extra reinforcements the battlestar wasn't getting hit quite as hard as it had been.

He knew his ship wasn't the largest battlestar in the group, but she could still pack an impressive punch.

"Load every launch tube with a nuclear missile." He ordered Lt. Stephanie Bridges and the Tactical Officer immediately went to work.

"When I give the word unleash Hell."

_**Victorious:**_

"Commander the _Sphinx_ and _Helios_ are launching their nuclear weapons at the two baseships on the left and right flank. They seem to be taking evasive maneuvers but I think they're guaranteed to take a hit." Pontiere announced. There was an excitement in his voice obvious.

"That's a relief; we'll fire out nukes at the interior baseships and leave the lead one for Mr. Ah-Mun." Graystone announced, knowing that Scott was getting the information at the same time.

**Hector Alonzo's Baseship:**

"We lost three more baseships to tactical nuclear weapons; it seems our Admiral Tolan is playing to win." Kimmel said as he accessed the data stream.

"He's not supposed to be doing that!" Hector exclaimed in disbelief.

"It would seem he can and he is." William Arnold said in a tone that was quite serious.

"He's using nukes and he brings his pirate buddies to fight. Why would be do such a thing?" Alonzo asked to the two men standing with him.

"Probably the same reason you had us call in the Ostarsis fleet; to do everything possible in order to ensure a victory."

"Well that's a problem, looks like we're going to be in this fight for a while." Hector said to Arnold and Kimmel.

"We may not be for long." Kimmel said after accessing a data point in the stream.

"What are you talking about Kimmel?" Alonzo asked. He wasn't sure if he was going to like what he was about to hear.

"The Eastern Alliance ships have launched what appear to be boarding craft, and there are two squadrons of vipers that are clearing them a path directly to us."

"Yeah…that could be a problem." Alonzo said to himself.

**Cosmora:**

"It looks like they're going to make it!" Cruz exclaimed as she saw the first group of boarding craft enter the baseship.

"It looks that way to me too CAG! You sure we won't get in trouble for aiding and abetting a group of pirates?" Lt. Willis 'Wise Guy' Sykes asked after delivering another barrage of gunfire from his viper that took out another raider.

"Tell you what Wise Guy, I'll talk to the admirals and get them to let us off with a warning." Cruz said with a deadpanned manner.

"The raiders are coming in hard here; the sooner those pirates get on board the sooner we can get back to guarding the battlestars." Ensign Dwayne 'Wolf' Armstrong said as he maneuvered out of the sights of a raider that had come in for the kill.

"Patience rook, you'll make it out of here in one piece." Cruz said to the young pilot from the _Athena_.

Cruz looked to her right and saw three raiders go up in flames at the same time, and one viper fly through where they had been at, "Alright now, who gets credit for that piece of work?"

"That'd be me Vixen!" Captain Brant 'Wizard' Martin said with his usual cocky manner.

"Damn good shooting Wizard, keep it up and I'm going to owe you some drinks!" Cruz said. She was feeling more confident in the abilities of her pilots. They were all volunteers and were damn good ones at that.

**Fifteen Minutes Later:**

**Hector Alonzo's Baseship:**

"It's too late, we've been boarded. They have plenty of RPGs and are better shots than we gave them credit for. Our centurions are holdovers from over forty years ago; they're getting slaughtered out there." Kimmel reported to Hector Alonzo before adding, "Not to mention that out of twelve baseships, five first generation and seven second generation, we've lost three of the former and two of the latter. Out of the seven remaining we have three with moderate to heavy damage and four with minor damage. For some reason the nukes are focused on the other baseships and leaving us alone."

Alonzo realized what was going on, "Tolan must have told them to back off of us so that the pirates could board and capture this ship."

"I've also received word that our boarding party on the _Victorious_ has left the ship with four prisoners and will be using one of the upper landing bays instead of the main one. It was a large firefight but they managed to beat off the Marines. Unfortunately they were unable to reach any vital areas that would have allowed them to take control of the ship. We'll get more information when they return and hopefully the boarders will be repelled before they arrive.

"Are there anymore baseships that can be called in for reinforcements?" Hector asked. He hadn't expected Tolan to put up such a tough fight. It seemed his decision to reign in his heavy weapons was paying off.

Kimmel was hesitant after getting the information from the data stream, "Well there is a possibility we can get more reinforcements, I'm just not sure if it will be feasible."

Hector was confused, "We are engaging a Colonial Fleet battle group and a group of Eastern Alliance ships. How exactly is it that calling in reinforcements isn't considered feasible?"

"The truth is that our forces are stretched thin in the Colonies. We've tasked the bulk of our forces with tracking down the _Galactica_ and other survivors of our attack."

_**Victorious**_**:**

"_Sphinx_ and _Helios_ are requesting permission to fall back in order to recover vipers for refueling and reloading." Hawk said to Tolan.

"Alright, have them pull out of range of the baseships and begin recovery operations. Tell them to keep their firing solutions going as to deter the raiders from coming after them." Tolan said. He knew that he was taking a risk, but he needed his vipers to be as well-stocked as he could make them.

"Commander Graystone is wondering if we are to do the same." Hawk asked, relaying the message from Andre.

"Yes we are…" Tolan began before turning his attention to Zelada. "Miss Zelada, which side of ours is the least damaged?"

Aurora Zelada took a glance at her tactical console, "It appears that our starboard side has taken the least amount of damage."

"I want to turn our starboard flank towards the enemy and act as a buffer between the Cylons and us. Also direct our squadrons to provide cover for the landing vipers." Tolan said to Zelada who quickly passed the information on to Major Pontiere in the _Victorious_' CIC.

Tolan had a thought that came to him suddenly and he mentally kicked himself for not realizing it, "Mr. Hawk I want you to ask the _Helios_ and _Sphinx_ if they still have any of the missiles from the weapons tests. Miss Zelada, I want to have the Weapons Offices and Magazines searched to see if we have any of our Sundowner missiles."

A few minutes later Lt. Zelada informed him that all ships had a small number of the weapons left.

Tolan looked up at the DRADIS; there was still time for the _Sphinx_ and _Helios_ to send a parting shot to the Cylons.

"Inform Commander Graystone that we need to load all remaining Sundowner missiles into the tubes and fire them at the least damaged baseships." Tolan said as he looked at an overhead tactical display. The reports from the squadrons showed that they were facing a mix of first and second generation Cylon baseships as well as a similar mix of raiders.

**Cosmora:**

Magic noticed the old model Cylon raider coming in hard and fast as it maneuvered through the traffic made up of the vipers and raiders engaged in a duel against one another in combat.

"Rascal, Magnet, Gadget, Gold I want you to follow me and take out that raider before it gets close to the two battlestars." He gave the order, which was followed by the affirmatives of the pilots.

He was now chasing down the raider with Lt. Seth 'Rascal' Hood, Lt. Amanda 'Magnet' Kennison, Ensign Kyle 'Gadget' Aulick, and Ensign Raquel 'Gold' Maddox.

_**Sphinx**_**:**

"All Black Star missiles have been loaded and the targeting solution plotted. I'm ready to fire on your command." Lt. Stephanie Bridges announced.

"Launch them at the closest baseships we can target and pray that they can make it through." Omega said. He knew that they were currently had begun to land their vipers and that while that was going on the _Sphinx_ couldn't make any major course adjustments or else it would throw off the pilots' landings.

"Missiles are away Commander, impact in approximately thirty seconds" Bridges said as the Black Stars launched with a loud 'whoosh' from the missile tubes located at the top of the main hull.

"Alright maintain course so that we can begin recovery operations." Omega said before letting out a loud sigh. They had been fighting for almost two hours now and there was still the physical and mental toll from the battle.

**Cosmora:**

"Can't this toaster stay still so I can get a lock on it?" Magic snarled with frustration as the raider moved enough to keep him from getting a lock with his weapons.

"He's frustrating us too CAG, but we'll get him soon enough." Gold assured him. She came down flying from overhead and tried to strafe the raider but it was to no avail.

"He's a slippery bastard, but one of us is bound to get him before he gets to the _Sphinx_ and _Helios_." Magic said to the other pilots accompanying him.

He hit the button for more boost from his thrusters, all he needed was to get in one good shot. Either that or one of his pilots would be able to get the job done.

_**Victorious**_**:**

"DRADIS contact near the Cylon battle group. There are five more second generation Cylon baseships and they're launching raiders." Zelada announced before cursing to herself.

"Why call in more reinforcements Hector? You must be getting really desperate right now." Tolan said with a bit of satisfaction. Even if the additional forces disturbed him, he knew that the one thing a crew should never see is fear from the commanding officer.

The _Victorious_ shook violently as a missile struck the forward main hull. His ship groaned as though the battlestar herself was crying out in pain.

'That may require some time in dry dock.' Tolan thought to himself. He knew the Vic could take a pounding, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to find out just how much damage she could handle.

"Admiral there is a message coming in from Mr. Ah-Mun. He requests that you not destroy one of the older model baseships, something about needing parts to fix up his new home." Hawk said.

"Very well, pass the info to our gun crews." Tolan said before thinking to himself, 'Great, first he's a pirate and now he's an interior decorator!'

**Cosmora:**

"Alright, I want each of you to approach this toaster from one direction. That should keep him from moving out of my targeting sights." Magic ordered the pilots at the raider moved again. This time it was on a direct course for the _Sphinx_.

The pilots acknowledged and moved into position, when the raider tried to speed up they matched it. Magic lined up the target and finally had a lock on the raider. The rear of the _Sphinx_ was coming up and he wanted the raider gone before the battlestar was any closer. He pressed down the button and immediately ammunition began to shoot out from his three forward-facing cannons.

"Direct hit!" Magic exclaimed as the left wing blew away, leaving the raider in a fast spin that it seemed unlikely to get out of.

"Great shooting CAG, you showed it who the better pilot is" Magnet said, followed by more congratulations from the other pilots.

Magic felt uneasy though. He had hoped that the raider would blow up instead of being crippled.

His suspicions were confirmed when it became obvious the raider was on a direct course for the _Sphinx_. It somehow managed to fly into the flight pod and crash into a viper that was in the process of being lowered into the hangar bay. For just a second nothing happened and Magic breathed sigh of relief, but then suddenly a huge ball of flame erupted from both sides of the flight pod. Similar explosions erupted from the starboard side of the hull as it became clear that the _Sphinx _was a doomed ship.

Magic felt a gnawing sense of guilt beginning to develop, he realized that if he hadn't have gone after the raider and shot it then perhaps the crash that turned the starboard of the _Sphinx_ into a funeral pyre would have ever happened.

_**Sphinx**_**:**

Everyone in the CIC picked themselves up off the floor. They could hear explosions booming from parts of the ship, and there was no telling yet how severe the damage was.

"Report!" Omega shouted at Bridges, the explosions and other background noise was making conversation difficult.

"Ummm…one sec…almost there Sir…" Bridges said. She was clearly in a daze and trying to gather herself. "We have major hull breaches all along the starboard side and it appears the starboard flight pod has been completely gutted by the explosion. The port hangar is fine; fire curtains have deployed and are keeping the blaze from advancing there.

"What about damage control teams?" Steele asked.

Bridges was beginning to regain her composure, "Chief Donovan says that she has all available DC personnel fighting fire all over the ship. They're doing everything possible to keep it from spreading. Right now we still have water pressure for the hoses and the Conflag stations are still functioning."

"Alright, patch me through to the _Victorious_" Omega said and picked up the receiver to wait for the connection to be made.

"Glad to see you're alive, Mr. Omega, how bad is your situation?" Tolan said with the obvious concern one would expect from the battle group commander.

"Well Sir it appears the starboard side has been decimated and there weren't many survivors from that side of the ship. We can still fight the fires and keep them from spreading, but I'm not sure how that's going to end up." Omega said knowing how desperate the situation could become.

"Pull away from the _Helios_ and continue fighting the fires. Before you do that I want you to get all non-essential personnel off of the ship. I'll order all available raptors to land on your port side. Are your elevators operational?" Tolan asked.

Omega looked over at Bridges and Steele and mouthed Tolan's question to them.

A few seconds later he had his answer, "Yes Sir, our elevators are still in working order on the port flight pod. I'll have the crew ready to evacuate by the time the first raptors arrive." Omega said to the man who had been his commanding officer on the _Vic_.

"Commander I want you to know that if the fires get out of hand then feel free to completely abandon the _Sphinx_. Just remember that I need living officers more than I do dead heroes. Understand?" Tolan said to him in an attempt to dissuade Omega from doing something he would consider foolish.

"Understood Admiral, if things get too hot here I'll let you know. Good hunting out there Sir, get them toasters back for us." Omega said before putting the receiver down. He was amazed that even in the midst of a huge battle Admiral Tolan could be so calm. Travis admitted that he admired the fact that the admiral was the kind of man who rarely lost his cool and seemed to always find a way to put life in perspective, a trait that had become even more pronounced in the aftermath of the Cylon attack. Perhaps it was one of the reasons why the crew of the _Victorious_ loved serving under him and seemed to rally around him whenever the situation called for it.

He then turned to Lt. Stephanie Bridges and Colonel Chad Steele, "I want the two of you to lead the evacuation down in the port hangar bay. When that's done make sure you're on the last raptor off of the ship." He then turned to his Communications Officer, "Mr. Valenzuela you are going to stay here with me in case there is a need to get in touch with the _Victorious_."

_**Sphinx**_**: (Starboard Crew's Mess)**

Lt. Jay Cannon picked himself up off the floor and wondered what had happened to the _Sphinx_ and why he was even still alive after the deafening explosion. He had made his way to the starboard crew's mess with a small group of survivors when another explosion struck the ship and knocked them to the floor.

"Is the door still dogged?" He asked to whoever could hear him.

"Yes sir, it's dented but still attached to the frame." Ensign Leticia Hughes informed him.

"Good…" Cannon said before taking time to look around the room. "Here's what we're going to do. There's an a/c vent over there on the far wall. We're going to take the cover off and crawl through the vent to the port side of the ship and get away from this room."

There were several voices of protest but he finally shouted enough to get their attention, "There is going to be smoke seeping through that door. We can't stay here and expect to survive. I wouldn't be surprised if the CO has already given us up for dead. Either we find our way over to the port side or we stay here and die."

"What if we follow you and die anyway?" Specialist Isaac Stein asked. The young man was clearly rattled by the explosions.

"Then we at least die trying to save ourselves. Sitting here and waiting is a death sentence. I want you to follow me on your own free will but I will pull rank if I have to." Cannon said. He made a point of establishing eye contact with each of the twenty-one people in the room.

"I'm with you Sir!" Ensign Hughes said as she walked to where he was standing at.

"Thank you." He said to her low enough so that only she could hear him.

"Let's get that vent off opened up and get out of here. I'll be in the lead and Ensign Hughes will bring up the rear." Cannon said. He walked over to an opened cabinet and pulled out a crowbar and two flashlights.

_**Helios**_**:**

"I've dispatched every raptor I have over to the _Sphinx_; I've also set up a triage on the port side hangar." Naomi Sakura told Admiral Tolan once they had a secure communications line.

"Good job Naomi; I'm instructing all raptors to transfer the _Sphinx_ personnel to the _Helios_." Tolan said, his voice not betraying any emotions he was feeling.

"If I may ask, why are they all coming here? Wouldn't you need to supply medical care on the _Victorious_ as well?"

There was a pause, "Commander Omega is currently staying onboard to try to save the _Sphinx_. I'm tasking you and your ship not only with the evacuation of those crewmembers but also the protection of the _Sphinx_. Your air group and Omega's air group are to work together to protect the ship from the Cylons. That's why I need you to keep the _Helios_ in place and provide cover until the FTL is online and the _Sphinx_ can jump away without disintegrating."

Sakura understood her orders but couldn't help but ask, "Admiral if I may ask, what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to buy you and Omega time to get out of here. I'm going to turn the _Victorious_ around and charge the Cylons. With the help of the Eastern Alliance fleet we can give you the time needed to pull this off."

She wanted to argue with him but even though she was an admiral now the fact remained that Scott Tolan was her commanding officer. "I understand Admiral, good hunting and I'll see you at Point Luck."

"Good luck to you as well, and we'll have a nice strong drink when this is over." Tolan said before severing the connection.

She saw Cordova and Martel looking at her, and it dawned on her that her eyes were tearing up. "Admiral Tolan wants us to keep the _Sphinx_ safe until a jump to Point Luck can be made. Recall our air group and put us between the Cylons and the _Sphinx_." Sakura ordered as she fought back a wave of emotion she hadn't expected to come over her.

_**Victorious**_**:**

"Helm has laid in a course. Are there any further instructions, Sir?" Andre Graystone asked Tolan.

"When we go in make sure have every gun blazing, every launch tube filled, and every prayer possible said." Tolan said. He felt confident that everything was in working order. The _Victorious_ has slight to moderate damage overall, and was still more than capable of packing a punch.

"That will be done, is there anything else?" Andre asked.

"Yeah one more thing, don't worry Andre we're going to make it out of this." Tolan said to his brother-in-law in an attempt to reassure him.

"With you leading I never once doubted it."

"Thank you. Commander Graystone, I want you to bring the _Victorious_ in on a direct course for the heart of the Cylon fleet."

The battlestar _Victorious_ turned from its sideways stance and began charging at full speed towards the Cylon baseships.


	15. Chapter 15: Favor the Bold

_**(One Hour and Twenty-Three Minutes into the Second Battle of Cosmora)**_

_**Balius**_**:**

"Sir there is a message coming in from the_ Victorious_. Admiral Tolan needs to have a word with you." Communications Officer Corinne Tanner announced.

There was a phone receiver built into his chair. Magnus picked it up and gave the nod for Tanner to make the connection. A minute later the static was gone and Ah-Mun could hear great deal of commotion in the background.

"Admiral Tolan is there something I can help you with?"

"One of my battlestars had sustained major damage, and I've tasked my other one with keeping it safe. How are your forces?"

Magnus took a look at the readout he had been given by Tactical, "I've lost three ships and two have had to withdraw due to damage. As for my ship, the _Balius_ is starting to have some trouble with the turrets. All this non-stop firing is beginning to cause the barrels to overheat."

There was a pause and then Tolan said, "I'm sending the _Victorious_ into the heart of the Cylon fleet. I need to buy the _Sphinx_ as much time as I can. Is there any way that you'd be able to lend me some assistance?"

Magnus smiled, "When you ask me so nicely how can I possibly turn you down?"

"Thank you. We're heading towards the Cylons right now at top speed. We get through this Magnus and I'll guarantee all the assistance possible to refit that baseship to your liking."

"Admiral you have yourself a deal. Let us get in formation and we'll follow you in."

'Of all the admirals who sent their battle groups to bring me to justice, I'm glad the Fleet brass didn't have the brains to send him…he would have caught me.' Magnus thought to himself with a good deal of amusement.

**Hector Alonzo's Baseship:**

"Wait just a minute!" Hector exclaimed, doing a double take_,_ "What did you just say?" He asked Kimmel as the Cylon stepped away from the data stream.

"The boarders are closing in on us and Admiral Tolan is coming directly at us with his battlestar."

"Well I'd hate to hear what the bad news is!" Hector shouted as he threw up his hands in disgust.

There was a sudden burst of gunfire down the southwest hallway that led away from the baseship's CIC. There were several explosions and good deal of hectic shouting.

"Perhaps we should relocate to one of the lesser-damaged baseships." Kimmel suggested as the sounds seemed to be coming closer.

"I agree, where's Sasha at? I want to get her off of here before the pirates find her."

"The interrogation room your son was in is near the Landing Bay A in the upper half of the ship. We'll stop by on the way up and get her. Let's get moving." Kimmel, Alonzo, Arnold, and the rest of the group in the CIC left to escape their soon-to-be-lost baseship.

There was another hit from what the three felt was probably a missile, causing the corridor to shake.

"This could be getting rather serious." Arnold commented.

"It doesn't get any more serious than a battlestar about to charge your ass." Hector said. He was angry at himself for losing his ship and angry at the fates for how the battle was turning out.

_**Sphinx**_**: (Main Engineering)**

"Seal those doors and don't open them unless I tell you to!" Chief Engineer Debra Blake shouted to her engineering crew over the loud roar of the ship's engines and generators.

She had no idea how thing were on the starboard side of Main Engineering, but in her mind she was sure that if the port side hadn't been sealed off then the Sphinx would be a hopeless cause.

She looked at the displays in front of her at her station in the engine control room. They still had water for now to fight the fires with, and the main generator was still functioning. Her only concern was the gauge display for engine temperature and the ventilation systems for the ship. Where possible she had sealed the vents leading from one side of the ship to the other, but there was no guarantee that all seals had been undamaged by the explosion.

"Chief the Commander is on the line and he wants to talk to you._"_ Jerrod Brown announced. He was one of the electricians from Engineering Room One, which was currently out of commission due to fire damage from the explosion.

Blake nodded that she heard him and picked up the phone, "Is there something I can do for you Commander?"

"How are things looking down there Chief?" Omega asked her. She couldn't tell if he was worried about receiving bad news or not.

"Well Sir, We've lost the three forward engine rooms to the explosion and as long as the doors stay sealed here we should keep Main Engineering going as well as the primary and port side generator. My main concern is the temperature and ventilation."

There was a pause then, "How are the repairs going with the FTL drive?"

Blake looked at the computer screen where her reports were filed electronically. A few clicks and she had the progress report from the repair crew, "If nothing happens we should be ready to jump in half an hour at the most. How's the evac proceeding?"

"I have Colonel Steele on it right now. The first wave of raptors was loaded with the wounded and they're heading to the Helios right now. I'm not sure how long it'll take for them to return, but the job is easier since every raptor available has been tasked with helping us."

"We're doing all we can to get the FTL back up, and I'm still working on getting the sensors to provide a structural damage report."

She heard Omega sigh, "I take it there is a chance that even if you get the FTL back up the Sphinx may be too damaged to make a jump?"

"There is a chance, Sir. I won't know more until the damage report is finished. In the meantime, you keep the evacuations going and we'll keep the ship from falling apart."

"Fair enough Chief, though I want you to keep one thing in mind."

"What would that be?"

"If the _Sphinx_ has to be abandoned we're _**all**_ getting off, just wanted to let you know."

"Commander Omega the thought of dying at my post never entered my mind."

"Good thinking. Let me know about anything major that you find." Omega said before severing the connection.

_**Sphinx**_**: **

'If it wasn't for the flashlights we'd be completely frakked.' Lt. Jay Cannon thought to himself as he led the way through the ventilation duct in an attempt to escape from the starboard side of the _Sphinx_.

"What do you see up ahead?" Someone asked from behind him.

"Just more darkness, but I think we're getting closer to the port side." Cannon said, knowing that the last thing he needed to do was say something that would discourage the people behind him.

He saw an area where the duct went off to the right and left. He called for the person behind him to stop moving. He went closer and shined his light down each path. The one to the right was closed off by a small set of metal doors while the left had the same small doors but they hadn't closed completely.

'They must have already hit the switch to seal the starboard side off from the port. We've been given up for dead.' Cannon thought as he turned to the left and called out for everyone to start moving again. He had his path chosen for him. There was only one for them to go, for better or for worse. Cannon did what he could to convince himself that perhaps that the Gods were helping them to escape certain death.

'Jay you really are an optimist,' Cannon thought sardonically…

_**Helios**_**:**

"Admiral we have a problem." Colonel Cordova said as he walked over to where Naomi Sakura was standing.

"There's only one this time?" She said with an amused look on her face.

"We're still using the port hanger for triage, but all the pilots are using the starboard side for landing, refueling, and other assorted needs. I'm getting reports that a large number of them are suffering from battle fatigue and Dr. Mosley says that they either have to take stims or retire for some rest."

Sakura took a moment to think things out; Nichole Mosley wouldn't have brought it up if she didn't think it would be much of a concern. However the pilots were needed right now and that was enough to make up her mind.

"Tell Doc Mosley that all pilots are to take stims before they leave the Helios. There are no exceptions and any pilot that disobeys will face a court-martial."

Cordova raised one of his eyebrows, "Doesn't that seem a bit excessive?"

"I need every pilot out there to keep those raiders away from us. Besides the last thing they want is for me to come down there and cram those stims down their throats." Sakura said with that sly smile she used on occasion.

"In light of that perhaps threatening them with a court-martial isn't quite so excessive." Cordova said before laughing and going to the Communications Station to pass the word along.

_**Atlantia**_**: (One Hour Earlier)**

"Admiral are you sure this is the course of action you want to take?" Colonel Sean O'Rourke asked.

"I don't think it's asking too much. If this message is authentic then the Cylons are pulling their baseships out and sending them to Cosmora. Admiral Tolan has the Eastern Alliance fighting alongside him, and if we can reach Admiral Kronus then we can add his warstars and cruisers to our fighting force." Tyrone Carter said as he went over the list of ships he had at his disposal.

"Who commands the fleet, better yet who will defend the fleet if the toasters show up?" O'Rourke pressed.

Carter looked up and smiled, "It's good to ask tough questions like that, helps me to go over the plan I have and make sure it works to my satisfaction. You seem to be a tough critic Mr. O'Rourke. Let me assure you that I won't leave the civilians unprotected. We have the _Achilles_ to leave behind. Just transfer the pilots back over and patch up the hardest hit areas as best as possible. Admiral Jonasson can lead things well enough for me in my absence."

"Sir the _Achilles_ was almost destroyed. _Atlantia_ took a pounding as well. Let's not forget that the _Ares_ and _Athena_ both are far from fighting strength. I would also like to point out that even if we destroy the orbital forces at Ostarsis will the Marines have enough force to defeat the ground forces?"

"We have General Maxwell or Colonel Krulak at our disposal, but going by what I've been told about the General I doubt he'll sit this one out." Carter said as he wondered what the next detail was going to be that O'Rourke would ask about.

"What about the escort battlestars, do you have any plans for them?"

"As a matter of fact I do. I plan to get the _Xanthus_ operational as soon as possible. We've discovered a squadron of a developmental-type of vertical takeoff viper. I'm going to talk to Commanders Cantu and Hendrix to see if they can spare their best pilot trainees.

"Well then how do you plan to look for Kronus and his fleet? That is if he's still alive." O'Rourke had his doubts. Then again he'd always had a questioning nature.

"I'll dispatch the frigates and the scout ships to search the Colonies for them. I have a feeling that he's in the area of Leonis. Commander Morton will find him, I don't doubt it."

"I can tell you have a lot of faith in his abilities, Sir." O'Rourke said with a trace of admiration in his voice.

_**Victorious**_**:**

Tolan shielded his eyes from the shower of sparks that erupted from the DRADIS console in the Flag CIC. There were loud _**booms**_ from the explosions that had erupted from the hull.

'Come on girl just keep it together a little while longer' He mentally said to the old Vic. He knew the battlestar was just a ship, but there was a part of him that felt that all of them had a soul of some kind.

"Mr. Hawk get a connection with Commander Graystone." Tolan ordered and picked up the phone as Hawk got in touch with Lt. Jennings.

"I'm here Sir, what can I do for you?" Andre said with an undeniable hint of concern to his voice.

"How are things going on your end?" Tolan asked.

He heard Andre take a deep breath, "Are you sure you really want to know?"

"I wouldn't have asked you if I didn't want an answer." Tolan shot back.

"That gauntlet we just ran holed us in several areas, and the damage control crews are trying to cope as best they can. Ready Rooms 1-3 suffered damage as well as the Aft Port Machine Shop. We've lost both Port Auxiliary Generators, so if our main one goes out then pray that the Starboard Auxiliaries are still functioning. We've lost a third of our missile tubes, and some of our cannons are suffering from overheating. I think that about covers it."

"Well it's not as bad as I thought it might be, but it looks like we took out another three baseships with our attack."

"I like your optimism Admiral, but the question is how much more of this can we take?"

"As much as we need to, and once the _Sphinx _is able get away we'll withdraw along with the _Helios_ and the Eastern Alliance vessels."

"You do realize that withdrawing would mean we lost this battle?"

"Andre this was never about winning or losing. In all honesty, right now I'd rather survive to fight another day, and that's more important that putting another notch in my 'W' column."

"Understood Scott, I'll let you know when we get more damage reports." Andre said before hanging up the phone. Tolan knew that Andre should have addressed him more formally but this wasn't the time to bicker over protocol.

**Fifteen Minutes Later:**

_**Atlantia**_**: **

"Commander Albert Morton reporting as ordered." The thirty-two year old Morton said as he stood at attention and snapped a smart salute.

"At ease Commander, please have a seat." Tyrone Carter said as he returned the salute and took a seat at his desk.

"Thank you Sir_._ If I may ask what is the purpose of calling me here_?_ With recent events I'd rather be back on the _Cessair_ so I can command the frigate task force."

"You may want to have your gear ready to move. I'm reassigning you effective immediately." Carter said matter-of-factly.

"Reassigned, but Sir if this is concerning my conduct at Cosmora…"Morton said but Carter held a hand up to silence him before he could speak further.

"You did quite well considering you were facing down a fleet of baseships with four patrol frigates. This is about our upcoming mission. I'm taking what's left of our fleet, with the exception of the _Achilles_ and the training ships, to Ostarsis to rescue the prisoners that are still being held there."

"That's a great idea Sir but what does this have to do with me?"

"Kronus took his cruisers and warstars with him when he went searching for supplies. I'm planning on forming a heavy cruiser task force to handle the gun platforms around Ostarsis as well as planetary bombardment. My original plan was to send the _Ares_ and _Athena_ to find Kronus, but I need them here in case the Cylons show up. The task is going to fall to you and your frigates as well as the newly acquired scout ships_ Broadsword_, _Gladius_, _Saber_, _Scimitar_, and _Rapier_. Once you've returned with Kronus I'm combining your four patrol frigates with the _Thetis_, _Erebus_, _Aether_, _Typhon_, and _Agrius_. I'm selecting you to command this task force. I'll give you a copy of the orders to verify this with Kronus. When you return all I'll need is for you to pick your flagship."

"Commander there seems to be something on your mind, care to enlighten me about something?"

Morton sighed, "It's just that I'm a frigate commander and now I'm suddenly going to pull rank of these other cruiser commanders. I was just thinking that maybe they'd be more inclined to follow orders if the person in charge was an admiral."

Carter grinned, "That is a very valid point there. Why the hell not? I know a jeweler on the _Olympica_. I'll put in a word with him to get your admiral insignia made. In that case I should also congratulate you on making flag rank Rear Admiral Morton."

"Thank you Admiral, I'm grateful that you promoted me. To be honest with you, I didn't actually think you would take me up on that particular suggestion. I have to ask, would taking the time to get a new rank insignia made slow us down?" Morton was still shocked about the sudden promotion. It was then that he began to worry about possibly slowing the plans for the Ostarsis mission.

"I have some business there to tend so don't worry about time. Get yourself situated for your mission and get Admiral Kronus and his battle group here as fast as possible." Carter then stood up and extended his hand, "Congratulations on the promotion, you more than earned it."

**Hector Alonzo's Baseship:**

They came up on the room where Chris Alonzo had been interrogated. To Hector's surprise there were only two people in the room. One was the Cylon who had questioned his son, and the other was Sasha. She lay still on the floor and for a moment he thought she was dead.

"Sasha, can you hear me?" Hector asked, raising his voice to make sure it could be heard.

At first there was nothing, but then Sasha turned over onto her side and Hector saw that she had been shot in the upper thigh.

"Help me…I was shot." She said weakly.

"We'll get you out of here and I'll see to it that you receive medical attention." Hector said and he began to walk towards her when he was suddenly pulled back by Kimmel and Arnold.

"There's no telling how much more time we have. The boarders have probably already taken the CIC and I'm sure they're still searching the ship for us and the Centurions still onboard. If we take her then there's the risk that we'll be slowing ourselves down and that will get us captured or worse." Kimmel said as he tried to reason with Hector.

"He's right Hector; we're only going to make things worse if we take her with us." Arnold assured him.

"Don't leave me here…there's no telling what those monsters will do to me!" Sasha begged them; the thought of being abandoned was enough to send tears streaming down her face.

"Give me your firearm." Hector told Kimmel. The Cylon reluctantly pulled it out and handed it over to Hector.

"This is the closest I can come to a compromise." Hector said as he laid the firearm down on the floor and slid it towards Sasha, but not close enough to where she could reach it right away. "It's the best I can do; they're right when they say you'll only slow me down. That gun will allow you to end it quickly." He then turned around and the three men left for Landing Bay A.

"Hector!" Sasha screamed as she was once again alone and wounded.

**Thirty Minutes Later:**

**Cosmora:**

_**Cessair**_**:**

"Admiral we've arrived at the outer edge of Cosmora." Ensign Melanie Solis reported from her tactical station.

"Excellent, check with Titus and see if he's able to launch the URD." Morton said, looking up at the DRADIS screen and trying to decipher what was going on with the battle. That was part of why he wanted the URD, Unmanned Reconnaissance Drone, launched.

The _Seras_ class frigates were equipped with a small hangar that could launch and recover these drones. They were remote-controlled by a Fleet pilot, usually one who was in between assignments. The one pulling URD duty tonight was Lt. Monroe C. Titus. He was awaiting his transfer to the battlestar _Megara_.

A second later he had an answer, "Slush says that he can have the drone up and running in five minutes." Lt. Kurt Payne said.

"Very good, let me know when he launches the craft." Morton said as he tried to fight back a chuckle. Payne had used Titus' call sign. When he had reported to the _Pythion_ he had told the CAG that he wanted a cool call sign like 'Ice' or 'Ice Man'. Titus ended up with 'Slush' instead. The pilot at least had the good sense not to fight it, a pilot who did that ended up with an even worse call sign.

A few minutes later the drone was launched and its images began to appear on one of the three overhead DRADIS screens.

"Oh Gods…" Morton muttered as he saw the sheet brutality of the battle. The _Sphinx_ was a burning hulk and it seemed that raptors had been deployed to abandon ship. The starboard side of the _Helios_ was facing away from the _Sphinx_, as though the battlestar was shielding the stricken vessel from the Cylons. Then there was the _Victorious_. The flagship of Battlestar Group 66 was charging through a gauntlet of the remaining baseships, and the images shown the many hits that the toasters had scored on it.

He stared at them; the images crystallizing what he felt needed to be done.

"Send word to the _Broadsword_, _Gladius_, and _Saber_. I want them to do a quick recon of the right flank of the battlefield. At the same time the _Scimitar_ and _Rapier_ are to do the same on the left flank. I want as much Intel as they can gather. It'll go along with the images we've captured from the URD." Morton said as he ran a hand across his shaved head. His green eyes took in the images and tried to give his mind the best picture of the hell that BSG-66 was going through.

After ten minutes he had the Intel from the scout ships. Thankfully the _Scimitar_ class scout ships were built for high speed. He turned to face Lt. Payne, "Send word to Major Creswell on the _Matrona_…" He was referring to Major Lincoln Creswell, the _Matrona's_ commanding officer. "Send over these images we're receiving from the URD. Return to Point Luck and show them to Admiral Carter, which should give us a course of action. We may need to send Kronus to Cosmora before we even dream of sending him to help with Ostarsis.

_**Balius**_**:**

"We've taken the baseship, Sir!" Neal Williams exclaimed over the comm. line with Magnus Ah-Mun.

"That's great work Mr. Williams, will you be able to jump the ship away?"

A few seconds later he had an answer when Williams said, "It doesn't seem overly complicated, this is an old baseship by the looks of things. Miller says that if you give the word he can get to work on getting us out of here."

Magnus didn't hesitate, "Get to it, and make sure you can get in touch with Admiral Carter as soon as you arrive to Point Luck. I doubt he'll ask questions before firing on a Cylon vessel."

"Understood Sir, we'll see you at Point Luck." Williams said and then the line went dead.

"Looks like I have a new home." Magnus said out loud though nobody seemed to notice.

_**Atlantia**_**:**

"_Admiral Carter to the CIC, Admiral Carter to the CIC_" There had been a shift change and now Ensign Heishiro Aoki was the on-duty Communications Officer.

Carter put down the paper work he had been sorting through and stood up. He stretched and in a few minutes was walking into the CIC to find out what the situation was.

"The frigate _Matrona_ just appeared on our DRADIS." Lt. Wade Zeilin, the on-duty Tactical Officer, announced.

"I have Major Creswell on the line; he's requesting to speak with you." Aoki informed him when he saw the admiral.

Carter nodded and went to pick up the phone, "This is Admiral Carter." He said and then waited for the response.

"Admiral, I was sent from Cosmora by Admiral Morton. He wanted me to send you an update on how the battle is progressing."

Carter had a bad feeling but he kept it to himself, "I'm ready for your report."

"I'm sending it to your Tactical Officer, it's a collection of images we captured on our URD and with the cameras located on the scout ships."

A minute later the tactical screen began showing the images of the battle. Carter's eyes went wide when he saw the damage to the _Sphinx_. His first command looked as though a giant fiery hand had smashed the starboard side of the ship. Then he that there was a camera feed of the _Victorious_ in battle, and from the still shot it was as though the battlestar was charging towards the Cylons. He had Zeilin start the video footage and he looked on with a mix of awe and fear as the Vic made its charge.

'He's buying the _Sphinx_ time to try to get away.' He thought to himself as he saw the Cylon baseships all hit _Victorious_ as it ran a virtual gauntlet. He felt a sense of satisfaction as Tolan hit back and seemed to seriously damage most of the baseships. He saw three of them explode as the ordinance hit home and did its intended job.

Yes it looked like the Eastern Alliance was providing gunfire support, but those ships weren't even close to the quality of the Colonial Fleet. Scott was doing all he could to get his ships out of there, but Carter knew he wouldn't make it much longer. He had a choice to make and he knew what it was going to come down to. Did he go ahead with the Ostarsis mission and use Kronus' force to assist with the rescue mission, or did he send them to Cosmora to help defeat the Cylons.

"Mr. Aoki, send the _Matrona_ back to Cosmora and have him give Admiral Morton a message from me. He is to find Admiral Kronus and send him to Cosmora to assist Admiral Tolan in his fight against the Cylons." Carter stared at the images, his brown eyes not betraying the storm that was brewing behind them.

**Twenty-Six Minutes Later:**

_**Svalin**_**:**

"DRADIS contact coming from the northeast Drathen Sector." Lt. Kirsty Emelin, the on-duty Tactical Officer, reported.

"Set Condition One until we know whether or not they're friendly. I want all guns loaded and trained in their direction." Kronus ordered.

"Admiral I'm receiving Colonial ID codes from four _Seras_ class frigates and five _Scimitar _class scout ships. It's the frigates _Agrona_, _Cessair_, _Matrona_, and _Lasair_! The scout ships are the _Broadsword_, _Gladius_, _Saber_, _Scimitar_, and _Rapier_!"

"Incoming message from the _Cessair_," Lt. Tyree Holt announced.

"What does it say lieutenant?" Kronus said. He couldn't help but wonder what the frigates were doing here at Leonis.

"Admiral Morton says that Admiral Carter is inquiring as to whether or not you can come to Admiral Tolan's assistance at Cosmora."

"Admiral why do look confused?" Hyde asked.

"Because Albert Morton was a Commander when I left to go searching for survivors and materiel; now he's an Admiral and I have no idea why."

"Don't worry too much about it. You need to decide if you're going to go to Tolan's rescue."

"You're right. Give me the coordinates for the _Colossus_ and we'll add it to our force. That will give us more firepower to use against the Cylons." Kronus then had Holt send the information over to the frigates so they could follow him.

Hyde suddenly looked very uncomfortable, "Before we jump to the Velez Sector there's something you should know."

"What would that be?" Kronus asked. He wasn't sure what it was but he had a feeling Hyde was still holding out on him.

"Well there's more there than just the _Colossus_." Hyde began and when she saw the look on Kronus' face she continued, "There is a large battle group and civilian fleet from the colonization effort. I only told you about the _Colossus_, I left out the part about the rest of the ships I had brought with me."

The jump count made its way to zero and not a word was said until the very last moment before the ships jumped.

"When this is all over you and I are going to have a long talk about keeping secrets" Kronus said loud enough for only Hyde to hear him.

Velez Sector: (In the region of Aerelon)

"I can't believe it…" Kronus said out loud. For the life of him he couldn't imagine so many ships having survived the Cylon attacks.

"When President Adar ordered the colonization effort he made sure to include an armada of military and civilian ships to ensure its success." Hyde said to him though it took a moment for it to register.

"Tactical, can you identify the classes of military and civilian ships we have here?"

"One _Titan_ class battlestar, one _Cyrene_ class battlestar, twelve _Trident_ class corvettes, six _Minerva _class frigates, one _Mercy_ class hospital ship, four _Amphion _class fleet tenders, four _Panther _class Army transports and two _Nemesis_ class heavy battle cruisers."

Kronus was wide-eyed, and that was only the military vessels. "Alright now what types of civilian vessels are present?"

'Sure she only held back a little on how much information she gave me…' Kronus thought to himself, he was amazed that Hyde could tell him with a straight face that only her transport and the _Colossus_ were nearby. Having a _Cyrene_ class battlestar was a benefit. It was the class that served as the bridge between the _Valkyrie_ and _Mercury _classes. They were essentially '_Valkyries_ on steroids'. That meant that the hull of a _Valkyrie_ was lengthened, widened, given heavier armor, more cannons, more missile turrets, and became the first battlestar class to carry the dual flight pods.

"Six_ Markab_ class super tankers, three _Cadmus_ class transport ships, six _Briareus_ class cargo ships, two _Diligence_ class library ships, three _Dionysus_ class agro ships, three _Alcor _class livestock transports, four _Telamon _class construction ships, four _Albert J. Meyer_class mining ships, and two _Vulcan_ class foundry ships."

'Oh we are going to have a long, and I do mean _long_ talk when this is all over!' Kronus thought to himself as he looked over at Hyde, who did all she could to not meet his gaze.

**Thirteen Minutes Later:**

**Sphinx: (Main Engineering): **

Blake was caught off guard by the sudden explosion from the FTL room. Everything seemed to be going fine and the reports she had received assured her that the repairs were close to being done. Cursing to herself, she turned on the diagnostic tool to check on the FTL drive. Maybe the news wouldn't be as bad as she thought it would be.

**Port Side Hangar: **

Colonel Steele was directing the last of the evacuees to the raptors. This was the trip that he would be making. He was impressed by how quickly they were able to evacuate the wounded and non-essential personnel to the _Helios_. Now was their turn to get off before some mishap caused the _Sphinx_ to be lost.

'That should just about do it.' Steele thought when he suddenly was aware of a knocking noise.

Coming out of his thoughts he looked around but couldn't quite place it. What followed were a series of shouts calling for help. He kept looking, getting more and more frustrated as the seconds ticked by

Finally he looked at the air vent in the south eastern corner of the hangar and thought he saw fingers sticking out of it. He focused and realized that the knocking noise and the voices were coming from that vent. There were people trapped in there!

He immediately started rounding up the deck gang, and after some convincing got them to get a large lift up to the vent. Once the grating was removed they pulled out a group of over twenty disheveled looking people, and when the last person was lowered to the hangar floor he went up to the group.

"Where in the name of the Gods did you people come from?" Steele asked incredulously.

One of the men saluted him, "Lt. Jay Reid Cannon, and with me are a group of fellow survivors from the starboard side."

Steele returned the salute and shook his hand, "I'll be honest with you Mr. Cannon, you and your group are among the few people who survived that explosion. I'd say the Gods blessed you. I want all of you on the raptors; we'll get you all the medical attention required once you're over on the Helios."

_**Victorious**_**:**

"By the current estimate we've taken out six more baseships, but we're out of our experimental weapons and we've lost sixty percent our firepower capability." Lt. Zelada informed him.

The ship had been hit with another heavy barrage from the Cylons. Scott was certain that the Vic had never taken this kind of damage before.

"Send word to Commander Graystone to move us as far away from the main Cylon force as he can without putting the _Helios_ and _Sphinx_ in danger. Has there been any word from Commander Omega?" Tolan asked Petty Officer Hawk.

"There was a report a few minutes ago that the _Sphinx_ suffered an explosion in the FTL room, repair crews are currently assessing the situation and will let us know if the drive is repairable." Hawk said as his eyes scanned the Communications screen.

"Admiral another Cylon baseship just jumped away, but I don't believe it was too severely damaged…and I'm reading a report from the Eastern Alliance stating that they've taken their captured baseship away from the system."

Another direct hit on the _Victorious_ sent everyone in the Flag CIC crashing to the floor.

"Sir, our FTL drive just went offline. We can still maneuver but there's no chance of us escaping at this time." Zelada informed him as another round of missiles found their mark on the Vic.

_**Svalin**_**:**

It had been eleven minutes since he had given his orders, and his crew had carried them out with an efficient swiftness he couldn't help but feel proud of. Any non-military personnel had been taken off of the warships, among them his family. His son was being taken to the hospital ship _Mercy_ for treatment of his severe pneumonia.

The _Titan _class battlestar _Colossus_ and the _Cyrene_ class _Indra_ were coming in with the frigates, and corvettes providing support. The cruisers and the heavy battle cruisers _Nemesis_ and _Conqueror_ were being combined into a gunnery task force, with the newly promoted Admiral Morton commanding from the _Nemesis_. His three warstars were more than capable of holding their own in battle, and if they needed assistance any number of the smaller vessels could be pulled to come to their aid.

"Major Creswell, I'm sending the _Matrona_ and the scout ships back with the civilian fleet." Kronus said after he was able to establish a connection with the frigate.

"I wish you would reconsider, Sir. It's looking rough there at Cosmora and you'll need all the help you can get if BSG-66 is to make it out."

"I know you want to be there fighting with us, but mark my words when I tell you that there will be plenty of fighting for all in the coming months. I don't want Admiral Carter to panic and become paranoid when he sees all these ships suddenly show up at Point Luck. That's why I'm sending you with them."

"I understand, Sir." Creswell said even though there was still a noticeable trace of disappointment to his voice.

"One more thing, when you speak to Admiral Carter please be kind enough to inform him that I want my six pack of Virgon Brew on ice waiting for me when I get back." Kronus said with a satisfied smile. Before leaving the Pallas Nebula he had made a friendly wager.

If Carter brought back a larger haul of supplies then Kronus would give up Chief Baker Juliana Cox, his personal baker on the _Svalin_ and quite possibly the best one in the history of the Colonial Fleet in his opinion. If Kronus won he got a six pack of Carter's prized Virgon Brew, and judging by the looks of things he was going to win in a landslide.

"Prepare the jump to Cosmora." Kronus ordered and the jump count began.

He then saw movement near the CIC doors and realized that it was Hyde trying to leave the room. He went over to her and with a powerful hand turned her around and guided her back to the DRADIS.

"I'm not letting you out of my sights." He said to her, and she didn't try to utter a word of protest. In the back of his mind he knew she would try to argue with him, and not even a second later his instincts were proven correct.

"I need to be there with my troops, I won't be of much use to you." Hyde protested.

"I've already taken the liberty of informing your second-in-command that you are staying with me and he'll be in charge until we arrive at Point Luck." Kronus calmly explained to her. He was amused at his prediction of her actions being right, but he didn't want to let her in on that little fact.

"You can trust me Admiral; I have no other surprises up my sleeve."

Kronus smiled at her, "That may be true, but there's no way I'm going to let you out of my sights."

"Jump to Cosmora in 5…4…3…2…1" Lt. Emelin finished the jump countdown and a second later the fleet was at the edge of Cosmora and ready to engage the Cylons.


	16. Chapter 16: By Fire – The Fall

**By Fire – The Fall**

One Hour and Forty-Seven Minutes into the Battle of Cosmora:

_**Svalin**_**:**

"The warstars are to concentrate their fire on the baseships closest to the _Victorious_. The battle cruisers and the heavy cruisers are to target the next outer ring of baseships – I want the _Indra_ and _Colossus _to launch their vipers and help provide cover for the _Sphinx _and _Helios_." Kronus gave his orders, examining the information he had available. It appeared as though the baseships were focusing their attention on the _Victorious_, leaving the other battlestars unattended.

"Lt. Holt, establish a connection with the _Victorious_. When we start pouring shells into that area I want him and the Eastern Alliance vessels to fall back. That should help to keep them from being hit with friendly fire. Send word to the frigates and corvettes, they're to cover the withdrawal and then engage the damaged baseships." Kronus said, pondering what would have happen if the Research and Development Division had not had their funding cut by Adar. There had been talk of producing a nuclear tipped shell for the warstars to use. This would not have been such a bad thing, considering their current predicament. He should talk to Carter and Tolan about starting up a research program, that is, if they could make it through the rest of this encounter. The thought slipped into his mind and then was stored away for another time; he had more pressing matters at hand.

**Cylon Baseship:**

They were now on one of the advanced second generation baseships, after losing their first generation Baseship to the Eastern Alliance. They caught a break when they arrived at the hangar bay. The heavy raider, which had previously boarded the _Victorious_, had returned, proving to be their way out.

"We lost a Baseship, but we're pummeling Tolan and it won't be too much longer until he's defeated." Alonzo said, feeling better about his odds of winning.

"We have multiple contacts jumping into range and judging by what we know about Colonial Fleet vessels, I'd wager that Kronus has joined the battle." Kimmel said.

"Kronus has three warstars and various cruisers. That's not enough to turn the tide against us." Alonzo could not understand Kimmel's concern.

"He's somehow come into possession of two battlestars, two battlecruisers, and other assorted vessels. He's bringing a small armada into battle." Kimmel said, followed by a huge explosion that rocked the Baseship.

The two men looked at each other and at the same time said, "That can't be good."

_**Victorious**_**:**

Scott Tolan hit the deck hard, sending a searing shot of pain bursting from his collarbone. He wanted to cry out from the excruciating sensation, but instead pushed the thought away from his mind.

'Pain can be ignored…' He thought to himself, lifting himself up off the floor.

Just then the _Victorious_ took another direct hit and Tolan was thrown to the floor again. He got up again and once more tried all he could to ignore the pain he was feeling.

"Admiral, we have multiple DRADIS contacts coming in from our rear flank." Zelada announced and then her eyes lit up with excitement, "Sir, they're ours! It's Admiral Kronus' group and a large group of ships that are…" She paused as she ran the id codes through the system, "They're Colonial Fleet, Sir. The ids check out and are authentic."

"That's great, but can you give me anymore information?" Tolan asked as he stared up at the DRADIS screen. He wanted to believe that somehow Kronus had found a remnant of the Fleet, but his mind could not comprehend how that was possible. If it was legit, then they had been saved from certain destruction. If it was a Cylon trick, then there was little doubt as to what the outcome would be.

"Apart from the ships we already know are in Kronus' task force, there are also three of the four frigates that we know were in our fleet. Among the new ships are the _Nemesis-_ class heavy battlecruisers _Nemesis_ and _Conqueror_. Among the vessels in the battle group are the _Trident-_class corvettes _Sarissa_, _Katar_,_Valari_, _Chakram_, _Lathi_,_Macana_, _Falx_, _Scythe_, _Saif_, _Talwar_, _Khanda_, and _Kilij_. There are also the _Minerva-_class frigates _Fahrion_,_ Crommelin, Elden, Calder_, _Aylmer, _and_ Osmus__**.**_Lastly, there are two battlestars, the _Cyrene_-class _Indra_ and the _Titan-_class _Colossus_." Zelada reported.

Tolan was wide-eyed with amazement, "When Kronus comes in to save the day he does it with style!"

"I'm receiving message from Admiral Kronus. He's requesting that you and the Eastern Alliance withdraw to where the _Helios_ and _Sphinx_ are." Hawk reported.

"Very well, inform Kronus that we're going to fall back. Pass the word to Magnus as well." Tolan relayed, barely getting the last word out before the _Victorious_ was shook from another impact.

**Ostarsis:**

"If you could please, Miss Ratliff, tell these men what you have told me." Bridget Woods motioned for Nevaeh Ratliff to stand, making her apparent to every eye.

"For the time we've been imprisoned here I've been a…" Nevaeh swallowed hard to find a word that would not make her cringe, "I've been a comfort woman for the Cylon model in charge of this moon. I recently found out that the baseships are pulling out to reinforce a battle group that's engaged in a heated battle with the Colonial Fleet at Cosmora."

Major Shane Cornell spoke up, "Now is this one of the battle groups that is supposed to be rescuing us?"

Woods then said, "Yes it is. This is BSG 66, Admiral Tolan's task force. We still have two other battle groups out there…and if we can get a message off to them in time, then we have as great of a chance of being rescued as we've had in our entire time here."

"What do you plan on doing now that you have this information? What if the battle group, the one that is supposed to come rescue us, is in a heated battle with the Cylons, then who's to say that they'll even survive and come for us?" Cornell pressed on with his questions.

Woods had had an idea of what do when the meeting was called, and now was her chance to get it out, "We still have Admiral Carter's Battlestar group as well as the remaining cruisers, frigates, and three warstars. Even though the four battlestars of that group are damaged, there are enough of the other vessels to give support. Plus, there is still a brigade of Marines that can be landed once the gun platforms are destroyed. With them down here the Cylon ground forces can be dealt with."

Woods, Jesse Quinn, and Shane Cornell then debated for about five minutes before they seemed to reach a decision.

"Miss Ratliff, if you could please take this note to Sharon Bonilla for me." Woods said, quickly scribbling on a piece of paper, "Tell her to get a report of your information to Admiral Carter immediately."

_**Helios:**_

Aboard the _Helios_, the starboard hanger was full of activity. Pilots were in the 'Stim Line' waiting to get their require dose of stimulants before they could launch and go back to the ongoing battle with the Cylon raiders.

"The mechanic told me that the exhaust manifold on my dorsal engine needs to be replaced before I'm allowed back out there." Captain Larsen "Magic" Banks said to the person behind him.

"Who was the mechanic?" Lt. Colin "Cypher" McGrath, one of the pilots from Viper Squadron Three of the _Helios_, asked.

Magic thought for a few seconds, the fatigue of the past hour and a half was clouding his mind a bit. "I believe his name was Hake."

McGrath nodded and said, "That would be Petty Officer Jack Hake. He's one of the aviation mechanics."

"'I'm sure that by the time he's done, your Viper will be fixed and we'll be back out there in no time." Ensign Grant Gardner said with the arrogance of the pilots in _Victorious_' Viper Squadron One he had dealt with since he came onboard, after completing flight training on the _Melete_. Gardner's call sign was given to him by none other than Major Andrea Graystone herself. Gardner had earned the nickname "Clang". The name was an abbreviation for "Clueless Arrogant New Guy".

Magic did not say much, but kept waiting for the line to move so he could get his stims and rejoin the battle. Before he landed, he had witnessed the _Victorious_ charge into the heart of the Cylon battle group, the Eastern Alliance ships trailing farther and farther behind.

He was brought back out of his thoughts by a loud shout off in the distance.

"Major, how were able to land this thing?" One of the mechanics shouted in dismay.

"I don't see what the problem is, apart from that rough landing everything was handling fine." Magic looked at the woman and thought he knew her, but could not place her.

"I know things are probably run differently on the _Atlantia_, but here on the _Helios_ pilots don't take vipers in for a hard landing with a fuel leak!" The mechanic gestured angrily with his hands.

Magic knew who she was then. The pilot was Major Celina "Vixen" Cruz, the CAG for _Atlantia_, who had put together a volunteer squadron to assist them. He turned back to Lt. McGrath.

"Cypher, any chance you can tell me who's giving the Major such a hard time about her Viper?"

McGrath looked, and then said, "She went high up on the chain of mechanics to piss off. That's Petty Officer Arthur Mayland. He's the leading aviation mechanic, and has a short leash when it comes to pilots."

The two listened to the conversation as it continued and a few minutes later Cruz and Mayland ended their argument.

"Well, obviously it worked out pretty well for us since I didn't blow up and we're having this delightful conversation." Cruz said, trying not to lose her temper.

"Thank the gods you're not our CAG!" Mayland shouted, stomping away to try to patch up her Viper.

There was an explosion from one of the vipers and a sudden commotion as the nearby members of the deck gang gathered around a person lying on the ground.

"I wonder what happened." Magic said.

"Whatever it was, it can't be blamed on me." Cruz said, walking in the direction of the line's end.

_**Atlantia:**_

Carter was looking at the stack of paperwork that had been deposited on his desk. He was used to being responsible for this when he was in command of the _Sphinx_, or when dealing with just his four battlestars. This time he was dealing with a mountain of work papers, since he was now in command of all remaining Colonial Fleet vessels, that is, until Tolan and Kronus returned. He looked at the stack and wondered whether it compare to Mt. Tibris or Mt. Herman. Either way, he was swamped.

"The sheer amount of tediousness could kill the strongest of men." Carter said, though only he was in the room.

There was an envelope that had been delivered with the reports. His name was on it and he made the connection almost instantly, it was Scott's 'If Something Should Happen…' letter.

He thumbed through the reports and found two pieces of information that caught his eye. The first one was a coded message recently received from Ostarsis. The other was a report of a large fire onboard the escort Battlestar _Melete_.

**Cylon Baseship:**

"How bad is it?" Alonzo asked Kimmel, after their Baseship took another salvo from the opposing fleet.

Kimmel was quiet for a moment before frustration took hold of him. His fists slammed into the nearest wall, while a scream of irritation occupied ears of those in the room. Then calming himself, he spoke, "We're losing baseships more rapidly now. We've lost about seventy percent of our attacking capability. Considering we had taken out practically all of the major fleet units, the shells and missiles wouldn't be a problem. Now they have a legit gunnery task force and it's causing more damage than we had anticipated." Kimmel hung his head, barely keeping the lid on the anger that threatened to take over him.

Alonzo shook his head in frustration, "What are you suggesting we do?"

"We retreat, cut our losses and get out of here – live to fight another day."

To Hector it was almost too much for his wounded pride, "That's absurd! We can still turn the tide and regain our momentum."

"At the rate we're going," Kimmel cocked his head to the side, trying to find the man's eyes, "that's bordering on delusion – far past optimism. We can retreat and prepare for an offensive later. Right now, we have to run. It's our best chance.

Hector thought about it before grudgingly saying, "We let them win the battle with the hope that we can win the war?"

Kimmel nodded his head, "That's the idea Mr. Alonzo. Now, give the word and I'll order the retreat."

"Very well, let's get out of here and regroup."Alonzo said, before muttering encouragement to himself, "Don't worry Tolan, we'll meet again and the outcome will be different."

_**Melete**_**: **

Luke Hendrix opened the bottle of Ambrosia and took a greedy swig. He was off-duty now and as he sat in his quarters all he wanted was to be alone. He had made sure his reputation was as tough as the 'Iron Luke' persona he kept, but he never thought he was capable of actual murder.

He did not feel all that sad about it. At this point in time, his career was all he had and nothing else mattered to him. If he had to get rid of some non-commissioned personnel to do it, then it had to be done.

He took another long pull from the bottle and began to feel it running through his veins, flowing from head to toe.

"So this is how the great 'Iron Luke' Hendrix relaxes?" The man's voice was coming from a darkened corner of his quarters.

"I don't know who you are, but you'd better get out before you make me angry." Hendrix slurred as the ambrosia began to take effect.

"You know who I am, Commander – I didn't think you'd forget me so easily." The voice mixed with a splash of mockery.

"I don't like your tone. Tell me who you are and maybe I'll save you from a year's punishment of bread and water."

This time the voice roared with laughter, "You think having to spend a year on bread and water will scare me. The thing is, Commander, you have to be alive to actually care about something like that."

"What the frak are you talking about?" His mind was hazy, not making the connection after that last comment.

This time a figure emerged from the darkened corner. The person was clearly male, wearing a petty officer's uniform. The man approached with bruised hands and a blood covered uniform.

"Who are you?" Hendrix asked. The lights in the room had dimmed to the point where he could not see the man's face.

"My name was Chief Jason Macias, until I was killed by my commanding officer." The man bent to where Hendrix could see him.

"Oh gods, you're dead! What are you doing here?" Hendrix exclaimed when he saw the bruised and bloodied face of the man who had been his deck chief.

"In light of your heroic performance with that fire, I was anxious to see how you were feeling. Some friends of mine, as well as myself, are going to join you this fine evening. We figured you might want some company."

"What friends?" Hendrix asked. He was afraid to find out, but wanted to know at the same time.

"He means my friends and me." Four more people emerged from the shadows, echoing the woman's voice.

Their uniforms were pristine in appearance, but their skin was blackened in some places and looked like they had been in a fire. Hendrix had no trouble recognizing Specialists Larry Carson, Quentin Romero, Salvador Duran, and Meagan Prince. They were the ones he had 'silenced' to keep them quiet about his murdering Jason Macias.

"I hit on that door and begged you to open it. Why'd I have to die you heartless bastard?" Prince asked angrily as she and the rest of the ghosts surrounded Hendrix's desk.

Hendrix let out a scream, jerking his body from the frightening dream. He was neatly placed next his desk, covered in sweat. With widened eyes, he searched the room, finding it empty. He took a deep breath, and then released the oxygen out in a long sigh of relief at his realization. With bottle in hand, he lifted it to his lips, and then remembering the dream, he thought it best to put the object back down.

"Commander Hendrix, are you there?" The intercom on his desk buzzed. It was Petty Officer Lori Tanner, the on-duty communication's officer.

He transferred the connection from the intercom to the phone on the wall behind him and tried to rid his mind of the alcohol-induced fog, "Of course I'm here you idiot. Now tell me why you're bothering before I make you sorry you disturbed me!"

"Admiral Carter wanted to have a word with you." She said, though there was now tentativeness to her voice that had not been there before.

"Well then, put that high and mighty son of a bitch on." He had figured that since Tanner was an idiot, who could not do a paint-by-numbers picture, he would have to wait.

"Commander, that won't be necessary." She said before Hendrix cut him off.

"Listen here you idiot, I don't want to talk to that bastard anymore than the next person. So the one thing you can do for me is put that ass-kisser on so I can get him off my case and maybe I can get some rest, unless your incompetence kills us all!" He exploded at her, hoping his rage would conceal the fear he had been feeling.

"Commander Hendrix…" Tyrone Carter said with barely contained anger.

Hendrix found himself sobering quickly, "Admiral Carter, Sir, what a pleasure it is to hear from you."

"Shove it Hendrix, your communications officer was trying to tell you that I was already connected and simply waiting for you to respond. However, now that I've heard how you talk to some of your crew, I have more questions about your fitness to command than I already had."

The color drained from his face, "Admiral, I'm not sure I follow you on that one. What questions could you possibly have about my fitness to command?"

"I have a report that was sent to me that caught my attention. How is it that no one informed me that there was a serious fire on your Battlestar?"

"Clearly one of my crew, in his or her utter incompetence, didn't send my report over to you and the rest of the Admiralty." Hendrix hastily retorted, attempting to deflect the blame from himself.

"I'll go with that, Commander, since I have some free time I'd like for you to go and send me your report in the next few minutes." Carter said with a little more calm layered in his voice.

'Oh frak!' Hendrix thought to himself. "Well, Admiral, I would love to, but yet another one of my incompetent crew shredded it by accident."

"I see…" Carter said as he paused before saying, "Well, you know how the Fleet believes in backing up everything – you should be able to get a backup copy of the report printed and sent my way."

"I'll see if the backup is still there, Sir. You know how my crew is…" Hendrix was going to finish his sentence, but this time Carter cut him off.

"Incompetent and likely to kill you because of it, yes, I know how that sentence is going to end. It seems I have no choice but to make inspection of the _Melete _a top priority."

Hendrix gulped, "An inspection, Sir? Is that really necessary?"

"Absolutely. If your crew is this horrible at upholding the basic standards of the Colonial Fleet, then I should see it first hand." Carter knew he was setting a trap; it was just a matter of how badly Hendrix would step in it.

_**Victorious:**_

"Commander Graystone, the Cylon forces are retreating…" Major Anton Pontiere announced. He was stunned by what he was seeing on the tactical console.

"Sir, Admiral Tolan wishes to have a word with you." Lt. Jessica Jennings said.

Andre picked up the receiver, "Admiral Tolan, please tell me that you're seeing the same thing I'm seeing on the DRADIS."

"We did it Andre, the Cylons have retreated and we can count ourselves fortunate. The important thing is that we won."

Andre nodded, "You've won a great victory today, Scott. If it weren't for your leadership we might not have made it."

"We all did our part- everyone gets credit for today."

He ended the conversation and now it was time to address everyone in the CIC.

"It's official, the Cylons have retreated and we've won a decisive victory today. Great job everyone!" Andre said and then watched as the CIC erupted in cheers and the various people began to celebrate, a few even hugged. He was surprised to see Lt. Jennings and Major Pontiere embrace and then kiss. Normally, he would not have allowed such a break in protocol, but, in light of recent circumstances, he let it slide.

In the Flag CIC, Tolan walked over and shook hands with Zelada, Hawk, and the other personnel stationed there. He thanked them all for a job well done, and then took a moment to stay a quick prayer of thanks to the gods for bringing Kronus to Cosmora to save them from, what would have been, certain death.

"Mr. Hawk, get me a list of damage reports for _Sphinx_, _Helios_, and ourselves – as complete as possible. Order repair and damage control crews to the most heavily damaged areas. I want to know how long it will be until we're able to jump to Point Luck." Tolan took a deep breath and wondered about the _Sphinx_. The _Victorious_ was badly damaged, but when compared to the damage inflicted on the _Valkyrie_-class Battlestar, the _Victorious_' damaged was minor. The near-catastrophic damage on the _Sphinx_ was caused by a breach in the ship's hangar by a Cylon raider's suicide dive.

When he had the damage reports, he knew there was a chance he would have to make a hard decision.

**_Helios_:**

"Attention all hands, this is Admiral Sakura." The voice of the Admiral echoed in the cavernous hangar bay, where the pilots and deck gang stopped what they were doing, listening intently.

"I have just received a communiqué from Admiral Tolan informing me that Admiral Kronus' battle group has arrived and that he brought some new friends along. Due to their entrance into the battle, the tide has turned and the Cylons have retreated." Sakura tried to keep her voice professional, but a tinge of the excitement she was feeling got the better of her and found its way into her voice.

Inside the hangar bay there was a sudden outburst of cheering, clapping, shouts of relief, and other sounds of celebrating.

Magic looked up and said a quick prayer, "Thank the gods – this fight was getting to be too much"

A few of the pilots from the _Victorious_ picked him up and hoisted him on their shoulders. He went with it and got in the spirit of the moment, he felt the thrill of victory come over him. When the attacks began he was just a Raptor pilot, and now he was in the seat of a Viper and the CAG of the Vic.

When they put him down, he walked through the crowd until he found the person he was looking for.

"Major Cruz!" He called out, trying to raise his voice so she could hear him. It seemed to work because she stopped talking to the group of people around her and looked at him.

"Captain Larsen Banks, CAG of the _Victorious_." He said to her as he extended his left hand to her.

"Celina Cruz, call me Vixen." She said, wondering just what he was doing there.

"Call me Magic…" He was temporarily unsure of what to say, but he quickly found the words, "I wanted to thank you for coming to our aid. I'm sure because of you, and your pilots, a lot of us were saved today."

Cruz shook his hand and smiled at him, "The pleasure was all mine, Magic. I know you'll be there if I ever need you to have my back."

"Don't worry, Vixen, I have your back and front!" Magic said before he realized that it could be taken the wrong way.

Cruz laughed, "That's a relief. I know you'll have me covered."

He shook her hand again and noticed three letters tattooed on the top of her wrist, "If you don't mind me asking, what does 'ADS' stand for?"

Cruz looked at it and paused for a moment before telling him, "It stands for '_Atlantia Death Squadron'_. On _Atlantia_, we were Viper Squadron Four: The Greyhounds. At Virgon, when we engaged the Cylons, our squad was left in the launch tubes to be launched in case of an emergency. When the toasters shut down the task force, effectively destroying the _Atlantia_, we survived. We heard through scuttlebutt that we had been nicknamed the '_Atlantia_ _Death Squadron'_, and all sixteen of us took the initials and had them tattooed on our wrists as a reminder of what we went through."

"I was there when we salvaged _Atlantia_, my Raptor was the one that found its location among the Battlestar hulks." Banks said with a solemn tone. Apart from Andre Graystone, he had not met any of the pilots who had been saved from the _Atlantia_.

She smiled sweetly at him, "In that case, you can say that I repaid you for saving my life."

Banks saluted her and she returned it. As he walked away he heard her talking to another one of the pilots.

**_Sphinx:_**

In the CIC of the _Sphinx_, the lights were dim and flickering on occasion. The only person left in there was Commander Travis Omega. Originally, he had Ensign Valenzuela there with him, but he sent the young man to the hangar to abandon ship.

His hands held the communiqué, informing him that the Cylon forces had been defeated. He allowed himself a small smile, but his mood was hardly celebratory. He had the damage reports spread out in front of him, and all they served to do was dishearten him.

In a way he was not sure how he should feel. The _Sphinx_ had taken a hellacious pounding from the Cylon raider that done a suicide dive into the starboard hangar and caused the explosions that turned the starboard side of the Battlestar into a burning funeral pyre. Yes, the port side had not taken that kind of severe damage, but it was still somewhat of a wreck from where it had taken hits from the Cylon missiles.

He had sent all damage reports over to Admiral Tolan, and all he could do now was wait to hear the word from the _Victorious_.

_**Atlantia**_**:**

After Morton left, Carter had a quick bite to eat and then left word with Colonel O'Rourke to have Lacey Tolan and Stadra Ah-Mun flown over to the _Olympica_. He also instructed that Lt. Jamie Hamilton be the pilot and that she was to stay on the liner as well.

He would be leaving soon for the _Maytoria _and _Melete_. It would not have been such a high priority, but the report of that fire on the _Melete_ bothered him. It did not help that the escort battlestar's commanding officer was a living example of how not to be a Battlestar commander, especially in a time of war. He did not care for Luke Hendrix, while the two of them had an aggressive nature, he was nowhere near as intense as 'Iron Luke' and wanted to see for himself if the escort battlestar's woes were the fault of the crew of the commanding officer.

Carter had one last thing to do before he left his office. Commander Omega had discovered the old _Valen_-classlight cruisers _Pelagiad_, _Rielle_, _Caldera_, and _Atatar_. They had been stored there since decommissioning, pending the inevitable trip to the scrap yard. Instead, they had been shielded somehow from destruction of the Lampetia Shipyard and were now on the _Neosho,_ being reconditioned for further service. Perhaps they could be ready for the task force, it just depended on how fast the work went and if he could find the right number of crew members to get them up and running.

**Point Luck:**

Tyrone Carter sat in the passenger seat of the Raptor, piloted by Lt. Michael 'Dragon' Sasser and Ensign Veronica 'Spitfire' Coleman. Coleman was Sasser's ECO and was at her station in the raptor's aft section. An accompanying Raptor, piloted by Lt. Jayson 'Sparky' Conrad, carried four Marines to accompany Carter for his inspection of the escort Battlestar _Maytoria_ and _Melete_.

In the center of the Fleet formation, separate from the civilian ships, were the three mobile dry-docks that had come along for the weapons test, effectively saving them from being slaughtered by the Cylons. The _Vestal_, _Neosho_, and _Priam_ were all busy with activity for one reason or another. The _Vestal_ had been tasked with the repair and overhaul of the old Battlestar _Achilles_. However, due to Carter's decision to undertake the Ostarsis rescue with the remaining ships at his disposal, the _Achilles_ was being prepped to leave the _Vestal_ to guard the civilian fleet.

The metal sheets, which served to pressurize the dry-dock, had been rolled back, allowing the workers to do their jobs without having to be concerned with the vacuum of space. Carter looked at the ship, feeling a deep appreciation for it and for the crew that served on it. Admiral James Jonasson might be a more by-the-book type of officer, but he knew how to run a ship and get the most out of its crew. When considering the state of the _Achilles_, it became obvious that it would be a vital asset to have under the current condition.

During the First Cylon War, there were the original twelve battlestars, but before they were finished there were four previous ones. These were conversions on various ships done to test whether the Battlestar concept was feasible. When that was established, the original twelve were built, and the lessons learned from those were used for the _Achilles _(BS-17). The thirteenth Battlestar built, but the seventeenth one commissioned by the Colonial Fleet; _Achilles_ looked quite similar to the _Columbia_-class battlestars. However, there were several differences. The hull was longer and completely armored, so that there was no ribbing visible. The flight pods were slightly longer and wider. There were more missile tubes and more point-defense guns for dealing with the Cylon raiders. While the _Columbia_-class was designed to retract the flight pods for FTL jump, the _Achilles_ was the first Battlestar designed to bypass that inconvenience.

"The Ghost Ship took one hell of a beating at Ochoa, Sir. It's a wonder you didn't have to order the scuttling charges set off." Sasser said, following Carter's gaze to the _Achilles_.

"They built them tough back then. _Achilles_ looks all blasted to Hell and back, but there's still fight in those old hull plates." Carter said. He knew that _Achilles_ was going to need a complete modernization, but once they were back from Ostarsis it would be a top priority.

Carter then turned his attention to the next dry-dock. _ Priam_ contained the _Xanthus_. The _Valkyrie_-class Battlestar was discovered by Commander Travis Omega and the _Sphinx_, his old command and sister ship of the _Xanthus_. The Battlestar was being converted to what was called, according to the documents recovered, a 'Marine Battlestar' and the conversion process was going through the final stages of the advancement. The launch tubes had been converted to serve other purposes and the _Xanthus _would deploy a vertical takeoff Viper that had yet to be deployed in the Fleet. There was concern about where the crew would come from, but he had thought it over and reached a decision that he was content with, but one Commander Luke Hendrix was going to be really unhappy with. The _Priam's_ metal sheets were all in place, keeping Carter from getting a look at what would undoubtedly become General Maxwell's favorite toy.

Passing the _Priam,_ they came upon the _Neosho_. The work on the four old light cruisers had been quick and now they were just waiting for their crews to embark.

_**Maytoria**_**:**

Carter had not been on an escort Battlestar in years, in fact he was still surprised there were any left on active duty. His purpose here was two-fold. On the one hand, he could meet with Commander Alera Cantu and perhaps glean some insight into the mind of Luke Hendrix. The other purpose was to get a look at the area that would have been damaged by the fire on the _Melete_, a sister ship of the _Maytoria_, and have an idea as to what he would look for during his inspection.

He could not shake the feeling that there was something suspicious about Hendrix. A man with that short of a fuse was kind of scary. Carter knew he had a temper, but over time he had learned to keep it under control and channel it into more useful energy.

**Two Hours Later:**

"I need to pay a visit to the _Melete_. I have some business there to tend to." Carter said to Cantu as he got up and headed for the door.

"You're going to go pay a visit to Iron Luke Hendrix? I've heard some stories about him."

Carter's curiosity was piqued, "Anything in particular?"

Cantu shook her head, "Just that he's a hardass and isn't the kind of guy you want to piss off. From what I've been told, he's one mean S.O.B."

Carter laughed, "He pulls that on me, he'll be crying like a baby." He returned her salute and shook her hand, "Your crew did you and the _Maytoria_ proud today, you should be proud of them and yourself."

Cantu nodded slightly, "It was an honor to have you visit us, Admiral. Even us training fleet personnel like to feel appreciated from time to time."

Carter smiled at her, "Your ship is helping to train the pilots that will pilot the vipers launched from my Battlestar as well as the others in the fleet. I can't thank you enough for doing such a great job with the _Maytoria_." He paused and then added, "If there is anything you need me to do for you, just let me know."

She smiled slyly at him, "A promotion to Admiral would be nice."

"I've already reached my quota for promotions to the Admiralty, but when I get the nod to promote another officer, you'll be first one on my list."

With that said, Carter turned and left the room to make his way to the Raptor that would take him to the _Melete_.

When Carter left, Alera Cantu went to the small cabinet she kept in her modest quarters. Like most areas on an escort Battlestar, the Commander's Quarters were smaller than what would be found on the frontline battlestars. She took a pitcher of water out of the small fridge next to the cabinet and poured herself a glass of water. She found Tyrone Carter to be a handsome man, imposing because of his height and build, but that seemed to enhance his features.

"Thank you for coming to visit us…Admiral Yummy Pants." She quietly said to herself, after taking a drink from her glass. The regulations meant that a relationship with the Admiral was not possible. However, she did not see a problem with admiring the man while she was alone in her quarters and nobody could hear her. She wondered if he might actually promote her, if he did, then that would piss off Luke Hendrix to no end.

She had to work with Hendrix ever since the training mission began before the Cylons attacked. Probably the only way she had kept from decking him at times was by telling herself that his aggressive nature was part of an old school mentality of command. She had heard the rumors of Carter and figured that a fight between those two would be money. In her mind, she could see the poster for the fight now: Admiral Tyrone "No Hair" Carter vs. Commander Luke "No Brains" Hendrix. Her brown eyes sparkled with delight at the thought. She knew who she would put her money on…and it wouldn't be Hendrix.

_**Olympica**_**:**

Brandy Coschignano and Cadeem Gibson were two reporters that had been assigned to cover the maiden voyage of the Olympica. With the Cylon attacks, they had become part of the impromptu news network, cobbled together from the surviving journalists in the fleet.

Now they sat at the table, in what had once been Hector Alonzo's suite. David Rush sat at the head of the table, a cigar in one hand and a drink in the other.

"Now, from what you're telling me, you want access to the Admiralty, the Colonial Fleet ships, and the crews for a documentary?"

Gibson nodded his head, "That's correct. Miss Coschignano and I both feel that it's important that we give the civilians an idea of what life is like for those that have protected us since the first day the Cylons attacked." The tall and lanky, dark-skinned Gemonese, tried to keep his eyes from giving away how badly he wanted to do this.

"Let me make this as clear as I can," Coschignano said, "I know it's going to sound strange to you, but the senior reporters get the stories that deal with the whole fleet. It would seem the Cylon attack did nothing to erase the old rules the journalism profession operates by. Since Cadeem and I are the junior members of the journalist pool, we, therefore, get stories that only deal with the _Olympica_. Sufficed it to say, we're running low on story ideas that are strictly dealing with the _Olympica_. It's important that a new angle is found for us to inform the public on. You have people like Kronus, a living legend if there ever was one. Then you have Admiral Tolan …and how intriguing is he?"

Rush raised an eyebrow, "Intriguing?"

Coschignano blushed a bit and was getting ready to speak. Instead, Gibson spoke up, "What she's trying to say is that Tolan is man with many subtle layers and we need to show those in order to dispel the myths that have popped up concerning his actions and the man in general."

Coschignano leaned in, with anticipation of what the answer was going to be. The young woman from Canceron knew this might be a chance of a lifetime and if they made it out of this, then her fledgling journalism career was going to get a nice boost.

"When the current military operation is over I will speak to the Admiralty and see what details can be worked out." Rush said and looked on with amusement as the two reporters high-fived each other.

"That gives me an idea!" Gibson exclaimed. "We can come along with the Fleet and serve as combat reporters. We can give frontline news and show just how the military acts to protect us. We can even interview random crewmembers and other people besides the officers."

"I can allow that, I'll get word to Carter and have you on the first transport to the _Atlantia _as soon as the two of you are ready. Now, excuse me, I have an emergency meeting with my Cabinet in ten minutes. Let me know when you're ready to leave and I'll make the arrangements." He got up from his chair and shook hands with them before opening the door for them to leave.

After closing the door he sat down and chuckled, "Scott Tolan is 'intriguing' and 'subtle'." He then shook his head and chuckled again, "Yeah he's subtle alright, like a nuclear weapon."

The idea also came to him that he would not be able to call himself 'The President of the Twelve Colonies' since that title belonged to Laura Roslin. He had been attempting to come up with ideas to fix the situation. So far, the only one that made sense was for him to be the 'Governor' of the civilian fleet. It was something he would have to run by the Admiralty…if any of them survived. Rush mentally kicked himself for being so pessimistic and went about his work.

_**Melete**_**:**

The crew's mess was a busy place since the morning shift was over and the mid-shift was coming on duty. Seated at one of the tables, for a bite to eat and to discuss the latest scuttlebutt, was Aviation Ordinance Specialists Isaiah Stanley, Thurman Mills, Lora Haley and Crewman Amber Hudson.

"Are you alright, Amber? You haven't been yourself since the fire." Mills asked. In the time since the fire, in the flare locker, things had been different.

"I'd rather not talk about it – I don't want to end up like those who died in the fire." Hudson said, not really wanting to discuss what she had seen Hendrix do.

"Come on, is it really something that bad? You've wanted to be left alone and you haven't gone about your duties the way you used to." Haley and Hudson both had bunks in the same area of the crew quarters. Her bunk was below Amber's and she had noticed the sudden mood shift that had come over the young woman.

"You know how Commander Hendrix has a small problem with his temper?" Hudson asked the three sitting with her.

"I'm Mad Dog Hendrix and I dare you sorry sons of bitches to mess with me!" Stanley said with a mock-ferocious tone and then he did some dog barking to drive home the effect.

"Actually, he's in some hot water from what I've heard." Mills said, which got everyone's attention.

"Well, Thurman. Don't let the suspense kill us, get on with it!" Haley urged him on.

"I heard that we're due for a visit from Admiral Carter. Hendrix got on his bad side in a way nobody thought possible. Carter is due here any hour for an inspection, and it doesn't look too good for the great Luke Hendrix."

There was more conversation at the table, but Amber Hudson was not taking part of it. She had a chance to right the wrong she had witnessed in the flare locker. If she could get to Admiral Carter, then there was a good chance she could take Commander Hendrix down once and for all.

_**Solace**_**:**

In the small waiting area sat Daphne Sari, Gianne Nash, Mark Ladon, and Andrea Graystone. With them were Henry, Andrew, and Lisa Tolan. The four-year old triplets were there when their mom had come out of her coma. Now the doctors were busy examining Emily Tolan to see what her prognosis would be. Right then, Andrew and Henry were play-fighting with each other. One was a super-hero and the other was the super-villain. Lisa lay on the couch with her Aunt Andie, the pregnant woman running her fingers through her niece's strawberry-blonde hair and humming a song to help her go to sleep.

Daphne and Mark were having a conversation about life on the _Solace_ and reminiscing about the _Victorious_. Gianne had a leather-bound book opened and was lost in thought as she read a page and flipped to the next one.

"What are you reading, Gianne? You haven't said a word for the past fifteen minutes." Ladon asked. He had decided that once his conversation with Daphne was over, he would ask how Gianne was doing.

She smiled at them, "I'm fine. I was focused on reading some more of this journal. Tim loaned me the personal log his father kept when he commanded the _Galactica_. I didn't realize that Preston Nash was _Galactica's_ first commanding officer. Tim looks up to him and wants to be the same quality of a Commander that dad was. From what I've read so far, I can see why he holds him in such high regard."

There was a knock on the door and standing in the doorway was Dr. Christopher McCain. He had been the doctor who had overseen the care for Emily since she had come onboard the _Solace,_ after being injured in the _Olympica_ Riots.

"Major Graystone, if you have a minute to spare, I have an update on your sister." He said to Andie as he beckoned her to come to where he was standing.

Andie gently took Lisa's head off of her lap and set it on the cushion as to not wake her. She tried to get a read on him, to figure out if he had good news or bad news for her. Unfortunately for her, there was no way to deduce what she wanted to know. She continued forward, one thought on her mind – what lay beneath that mask of professionalism?

Once they were in the hallway, she asked, "What news do you have about Emily?"

Dr. McCain nodded his head and seemed to try to put his thoughts together before he spoke to her.

**Three Hours Later:**

_**Melete**_**:**

Carter's inspection left little doubt in his mind that the _Melete_ had a dedicated crew of enlisted personnel – it was a majority of the officers that left something to be desired. He had toured some of the areas that he was sure would look immaculate. The medical and mess facilities were spotless and looked every bit the image the Colonial Fleet prided itself on. The crew areas looked as though they had been given a quick cleaning, to impress him on his tour.

The only area that disturbed him was the flare locker, where the fire started. The water used to flood the area had been pumped out, and when Carter looked through the warped doorframe he saw a vast area of blackened metal and a gaping hole where the floor used to be.

"Commander, you mean to tell me that this was only a minor fire?" Carter asked Hendrix. He made no attempt to hide the incredulity in his voice.

Hendrix seemed to flinch at the question, but quickly regained his composure, "As you can see, Admiral, the fire was contained and the casualties were kept to a surprisingly low number. All in all, I'd say this rated at a minor fire."

"Have you gone blind, or drunk yourself stupid? The floor melted away because of the fire. You're telling me that a fire hot enough to melt a steel floor is 'minor'?" Carter exclaimed with disbelief.

Carter turned away from the ruined compartment in disgust, "Let's head to your quarters. I feel I've seen enough to give you my assessment of this ship."

The two officers and the four marines made their way through the corridors with scarcely a word being said.

Hendrix tried to break the ice, "Tell me, Admiral, what is your opinion of Admiral Tolan?"

Admiral Carter kept looking ahead, but told him, "Scott Tolan is an officer who comes along once in a lifetime."

Hendrix nodded, but his thoughts were on how Tolan had cost him the command of the _Kios_, 'That may be true, but why did he have to come in mine?' He thought bitterly.

Just then, a woman, one of the enlisted crew, came rushing up to the group and in between deep breaths said that she needed to speak with Admiral Carter.

"Listen here…" Hendrix said, before realizing that he had no idea who the young woman was, "Whoever you are, we're having a meeting that's way over your pay grade so get lost."

The woman's face seemed to lose some of its color, but finally she seemed to compose herself, "Admiral Carter, I need to speak with you in private."

Hendrix had hoped Carter would dismiss the woman, but he saw one of the Admiral's eyebrows go up as though he was pondering something.

"What is it you would like to talk to me about Miss…?" Carter gave her an opening to say her name.

"She's not important and is only slowing us down. I'll send her away and deal with her later." Hendrix moved towards her, but Carter held up one of his large hands.

"That will not be necessary, Commander, she deserves a chance to speak."

"Thank you, Admiral. My name is Amber Hudson – I'm a crewman here on the _Melete_. I wanted to tell you about the fire. I know who caused it."

Hendrix let out a derisive snort, "You have got to be kidding me!" He was going to lay more scorn on her, but then he locked eyes with her and in that instant he realized that she knew.

"Come with me!" He bellowed at her and in a quick motion he grabbed her by the arm, about pulling it out of the socket as he tried to force her into a nearby room.

He had just about done it when he felt a hand on his shoulder, "That is enough Hendrix, let her go!" It was Carter's voice and he sounded like he did on the phone when he had announced his inspection.

"Admiral Carter, you are interfering with my ability to do my job as the commanding officer of this ship. This Crewman Hudson has spoken way out of line and needs to be disciplined. So with all due respect, Sir, you need to stay out of my way and let me do my frakking job!"

"I will not stand by and let you manhandle your crew, especially one who is clearly scared to death of you. Let her go right now – that's an order!"

Hendrix did that, and Hudson ran over to where Carter was standing. He felt he had played nice long enough. Now was the time to show Tyrone Carter how tough Iron Luke Hendrix really was.

He walked right up to the Admiral and stared up at him with eyes that would have shot daggers, if they had that capability. "Listen to me, Admiral Carter. You may not know who I am, but I am Commander Luke Hendrix, more commonly known as 'Iron Luke'. I am not one to be screwed around with. I'm a lot like a Viper engine. I'm built for power and speed. The thing that you should remember is that it's frakking dangerous to get an engine running in the red, it could blow."

Carter did not flinch or show any signs of backing down, "Oh, are you getting ready to blow?"

"Damn right, Sir. I'm getting ready to blow."

Suddenly, Carter pushed Hendrix hard against the wall, "Then, I guess I should let you know that I'm one bad ass motherfrakker. I'm so bad ass I can walk on water, eat bullets, and shoot lightning out of my fingertips, if I so desired. I'll read you a verse from the Sacred Scrolls about the wrath of the gods and you can ask yourself if you're sure you want to take this to the next level?"

Hendrix suddenly lost his nerve. He had challenged not some lowly enlisted person, but a fellow officer – one that out ranked him. "I'm going to my quarters, Sir. I'll wait for you there." He lowered his head and walked away, resigned to his fate, unless he could figure a way out.

"Wait just a minute." Carter ordered, before turning to the four Marines, "Corporal Gaines, escort Commander Hendrix to his quarters and make sure he doesn't leave until I arrive."

Hendrix looked on as the largest of the four Marines walked up to him and brought his sidearm out of its holster.

"This Corporal Cyrus Gaines, he'll be keeping an eye on you until I'm done talking to Miss Hudson. Whatever you do, don't give him a reason to use his gun. He's missed out on a lot of the recent action and I fear he's a little trigger-happy." Carter told him as Gaines motioned with his gun for the Commander to start moving.

When Hendrix was in his quarters he sat down at his desk and stared up at the ceiling, pondering what he should do. The thought came to him suddenly, there was a way to silence Hudson and get rid of Carter. It would be tricky, and if his plan backfired, then he would die.

He flipped the switch on his computer, which was seated nicely on his desk, bring it to life. The command screen flickered on in front of him. He had served as Tactical Officer on the Battlestar _Resdayn_, and was familiar with the protocols in place. It was a common practice for all Colonial Fleet vessels to carry scuttling charges in case the ship was boarded and then lost. All he had to do was activate the _Melete's _scuttling charges and set them on a silent count.

_**Author's Note: I'm currently working on an appendix for the different classes of ships in the fleet. This should provide plenty of description and hopefully help to alleviate the confusion concerning the many new ships I've introduced. This should appear after the last chapter of this volume. There are two more to go, and then it will be time to move on to Volume III.**_


	17. Chapter 17: Ever on Guard

_**Ever on Guard**_

**Ostarsis: **

The seven models of the Cylons were seated at the large wooden table in the Barrera Conference Room of the luxurious Dia Griene Hotel on Ostarsis. In this large mahogany-paneled room, they intended to set in motion the plans that would allow them to rid themselves of the resistance cell once and for all.

"Do you think the plan will work?" Number Five look around the room, with his question aired to the other representatives of the seven Cylon models.

"I knew that…toy of mine would go to her beloved friends the moment she was told of my plans: to send all remaining baseships to Cosmora." Number One said, a smug smile distorting his wrinkled face.

"You did read the report that Four and Alonzo were defeated not long ago?" Number Six asked One.

"That one caught us off guard – the only thing we can assume is that the location of these particular ships was not in the Defense Mainframe." He stopped for a moment, collecting his thoughts, and then made a dismissive gesture with his hands. "It is of no importance, the resistance doesn't know that I moved all of the gun platforms from the other colonies and set them up here, at Ostarsis. Once the Colonials try a rescue attempt, we'll pounce and destroy them while they are still drifting in their own confusion. Then they'll be gone and we'll be free from vengeance."

_**Melete: **_

Commander Luke Hendrix searched through the protocols to find the one to engage the scuttling charges. He tried his best to keep his eye on the Marine stationed at his door to keep him from leaving his quarters. Admiral Carter had confined him to quarters, but he did not seem to realize that it was still possible to access the ship's computer mainframe from his computer. That alone would be the source of his salvation. That is, if Carter did not wise up to the fact and have his computer privileges revoked.

His mind still couldn't comprehend the events that had just taken place. Although he was certain nobody else had been there when he'd started that fire, now, he was facing the one man firing squad known as Admiral Tyrone Carter. Well, he'd fix that with a deadman's switch embedded in the command codes. Finding the protocol, he sat back awaiting the arrival of Carter. The charges were set at various parts of the main hull. The computer's command would initiate the charges to explode from the bow to the stern. Individually, they would explode about a second and a half after the previous one, ensuring maximum damage.

Sitting at his console, he wondered how long he would have to wait until Carter arrived. Eyeing the bottle of ambrosia he had earlier, he gave in and reached for it. He took the bottle from its previous resting place and placed the rim against his lips. The liquid began to trickle over his tongue and burning down his throat. As the alcohol boosted his confidence, he felt his swagger coming back to him. A flicker on the screen alerted him that the charges were primed and ready to go off at a moment's notice. Swallowing another mouthful, he heard the deafening sound of footsteps approaching, and soon, in the doorway to his quarters, stood Carter.

"Well, Admiral, are you going to enter or just stand there like a lost tourist?" Hendrix asked, feeling a sudden boost in his ego.

Carter walked in and closed the door, "I just finished my talk with Crewman Hudson. You have a lot of explaining to do Commander Hendrix."

Hendrix gave a look of mock horror, "Oh no, the great Admiral Carter is upset with me! However shall I cope with this?" He then shot Carter with an angry glare, "How about I tell you what you're going to do?" Carter's gaze remained even, but Hendrix could tell there was anger burning behind his brown eyes. When Carter said nothing, Hendrix decided to press on, "You are going to get the frak off of my ship, and you're not going to do one damn thing to me. I even think it might be time for me to retire. I want to be let off of this bucket, without any repercussions, and onto the _Olympica_. Yes…" Hendrix thought of retiring to the pride of the Colonial Line and in no way did it sound bad. "You can do that for me, and I won't have to take any drastic measures."

Carter raised a wary eyebrow at him, "What kind of measures are you talking about?"

Hendrix grinned with triumph, "All I have to do is hit a button and I can make this ship do whatever I want."

Carter looked at him impassively, not wanting to say exactly what was on his mind.

Hendrix waited a moment, "Are you doubting me?"

All Carter said was in response was, "Nope."

The more he looked at Hendrix, the more Carter began to wonder just what the man was capable of. Luke Hendrix reminded him of the caged animals he had seen on the documentary programs he had watched in school. He sported a short beard and a stylish moustache that were colored a light brown. He had a wide-chested build, as well high cheekbones. There was a definite hardness to the man's deep-set brown eyes.

While Carter pondered this, Hendrix entered something with the keyboard.

"What are you doing?" Carter asked.

"You will know in five…four…three…two…one…" Hendrix said before the lights flickered and then went out, plunging them into a claustrophobic darkness.

"Impressive," Carter admitted.

"Just a small taste of what I can do from here," Hendrix said. A few clicks of the keyboard and the lights were restored.

"Nice parlor trick, though I have to wonder if you really believe that turning the lights off is going to get you off of this ship."

"I'll level with you. The best thing you can do is give me what I want; you really don't want me to set off the scuttling charges."

Carter shook his head, "You're a lot of things Hendrix, but what you're talking about here is lunacy."

Hendrix turned his gaze to his computer and typed in the necessary command, pressing the enter key as he spoke, "Is this the act of a lunatic?"

Carter shot him a questioning glare, "What have you done?"

With the words uttered, the sound of a large explosion filled the ears of the crew. The _Melete_ shook violently and everyone in the room and corridor were thrown off their feet.

"Action Stations, Action Stations! Set Condition One throughout the ship. This is not a drill." The voice of the Lt. Clint Jarvis, the Tactical Officer and Officer of the Deck, announced over the ship's main speaker.

Hendrix was the first to pick himself off the floor, and quickly got back into the chair at his desk.

"What the hell was that?" Carter asked, pushing a small bookcase off of his left leg, and then standing up.

"Obviously, I just detonated one of the scuttling charges. At this point I only want to demonstrate I can send this ship and its crew to its demise." He saw the look on Carter's face and decided to elaborate, "The next charge is set for the section where most of the enlisted crew and officers are housed. That a strong enough point to you?"

Carter grudgingly nodded his head.

"Oh I'm not so sure. You're thinking you can get around me and cut off my computer access. Well, guess again. Only my command codes are accepted anymore. Oh, and for the I.T. boys, there's a redundant deadman's switch to this."

"You made your point. I'll go to CIC and see what arrangements I can make for you. Do I have to tell you not to try to leave this room?"

Hendrix rolled his eyes, "You have a gift for the obvious, Tyrone… Get my transport to the _Olympica_ ready before I get twitchy again."

Carter stood there in amazement at the disrespect he was being shown. Suddenly, they were on a first name basis with Hendrix giving him commands. In his eyes, Hendrix was a coward, a murderer, an embarrassment to the uniform. He was also a man who right now held the lives of everyone on the _Melete_ in his hands, and could end them now if he did not get his way. A powerfully built man, Carter figured he or another guard could take Hendrix but it didn't solve the problem of the deadman's switch, redundant deadman's switch. No matter what his rank now, Carter realized he needed to keep his ego and temper in check to manipulate Hendrix and keep this whack job calm. He would get satisfaction later when it was over.

Hendrix looked at his computer screen and then turned around and looked at Carter. "Oh. Admiral, I apologize; I forgot you were there. You may go now."

Carter shook his head before he made his way to the door. Better not to say anything to set this guy off again before someone from the shrink's department could brief him. On the way to CIC, it dawned on him that the mountain of paperwork waiting for him back on the _Atlantia_ was a dream compared to this mess. Checking his fury, he mentally made a list of what he wanted done so this sort of terrorism never happened again.

Hendrix sat back in his chair and stretched, feeling pretty good about himself. _'Looks like I win.'_ Relaxing now that he had the upper hand, he swigged from the ambrosia bottle and felt the heat slide down his throat.

The self-destruct charges, standard in all Colonial Fleet vessels dating back to the Cylon War, ran the length of the ship. They were placed at key stress points to facilitate the destruction of the vessel once they had been set off with the idea Colonial tech and information should never fall into Cylon hands. Apparently, no one needed to worry about that anymore. The Cylons had as good or better.

_**Melete**_** (CIC): **

The corridors of _Melete_ were busy with activity following the initial explosion. Carter finally found what he was looking for on a bulkhead not far from where he stood. Pushing his way through the crowd around him, he picked up the receiver and was immediately connected to CIC.

"This is Admiral Carter; I need to speak with the Officer of the Deck right away."

"Yes sir," The communications officer quickly replied, and not long after Carter heard Jarvis' voice.

"This is Admiral Carter; I am on my way to CIC with important information about the explosion that the _Melete_ just had." He thought about continuing, but then he had the realization that Hendrix might be monitoring all inter-ship communications.

Before Jarvis could respond, Carter hung the receiver up and climbed a nearby ladder on his way to the CIC.

Carter bounded into the Combat Information Center as another secondary explosion jolted the ship. The CIC was a mess of pandemonium. The staff ran around to the different stations trying to get a fix on what happened. Lt. Jarvis stood at the Command and Control station going over the few reports he had been given.

"Admiral on deck!" Someone in the room shouted and almost all action ceased.

"As you were." Carter said and everyone went back to what they were doing. He made his way over to Command and Control, "What's the situation, Lieutenant?"

"Well, Sir, there was a massive explosion in Frame 14, just aft of the bow section. I dispatched Damage Control to the areas, and I have attempted to contact Commander Hendrix, but I can't get through to his quarters."

"That won't be necessary; I've relieved him of command, pending some very serious charges." Carter said as he looked over the reports Jarvis had spread out in front of him.

"Sir?"

"You heard me." Carter frowned at the young officer, "Hendrix is under arrest. Now where is the XO?"

"That's part of the problem. I was the Officer of the Deck, all the senior staff had retired for the evening. With the exception of Commander Hendrix, the quarters for the rest of the staff were located on Deck Six in Frame 14."

'_That son of a bitch killed his own officers.'_ Carter thought to himself in amazement. He quickly pushed the thought aside and went to focus on the task at hand.

"What's your name, Lieutenant?" Carter asked the young man, who was now probably the only senior officer left alive on the _Melete._

"Jarvis, Sir. Clint Jarvis."

"Well, Mister Jarvis, I will enlighten you on the current situation, seeing that right now you are in command of the _Melete_. Commander Hendrix is currently holding the ship hostage. He's activated the scuttling charges and is threatening to set them off unless I meet his demands."

Jarvis did not seem to be taking all the information in, "Sir," Jarvis caught his breath. He had to phrase this carefully. "Why would he do this?"

"I found out that he deliberately set fire to the flare locker and attempted to cover it up."

"You are sure, sir?"

"A crewman saw what took place and informed me what happened. I'm more than inclined to believe her."

"That's so hard to believe, sir; with all due respect, could you have misinformation?"

"That's the advantage of being an admiral – I don't have to explain one frakking thing to anyone, least of all you."

"Yes sir." Jarvis said, without much conviction.

"Keep your Damage Control teams working on putting out that fire. Keep me informed on any situations that may arise." Carter said. Jarvis saluted lazily, and once it was returned, he went back to his work.

Admiral Carter walked quickly over to the Communications Station. He had an idea that could work well enough – if executed properly.

The young woman at the station looked at him with a pair of hazel eyes that gazed at him with an ill-disguised mistrust.

"How can I help you, Sir?" She asked tentatively.

"I need you to bring up the _Melete's _schematics."

"Is there anything in particular you need?"

"I need to know the location of the Auxiliary CIC," Carter said. As with the ships of the Colonial Fleet, the _Melete_ had an Auxiliary CIC where the ship could be operated should the primary CIC be destroyed or rendered unusable. In case of an emergency situation such as this, the room would already be staffed in case of such an occasion.

The screen in front of them came to life as the blueprints for the _Melete_ began to flash on the screen.

"The Auxiliary CIC is located on Deck Nine, Frame 21."

As Carter exited the CIC he could not shake the feeling that there was something going on he was not aware of.

He navigated the crowded corridors that bustled with activity from the damage control teams attempting to stop the fires caused by the scuttling charges Luke Hendrix had detonated. He turned a corner and entered the Auxiliary CIC. Once he entered the room everyone stood at attention and saluted. He ordered them to carry on their duties and told the Communications Officer to patch him through to the _Achilles_.

"This is _Achilles_ Actual." The voice of Admiral James Jonasson crackled over the phone.

"This is Admiral Carter; I need your assistance with a situation here on the _Melete_."

"Standing by, sir."

Carter took a deep breath then asked, "Based on what you knew going into your training mission before the Cylon attacks, what do you know about the history of Commander Hendrix?"

There was a long pause, and for a moment Carter wondered if the connection had been severed somehow.

"From what I remember," Jonasson began, "Hendrix was a fairly competent officer, albeit a bit more hard-nosed than some. His wife had a miscarriage during the time he was Executive Officer of the Battlestar _Chara_. The doctors informed them that she would be unable to have children. From the psychological reports I have here, after that, Hendrix became focused on advancing his career, and become even more of a hardnosed officer. That is all from his personnel file that I had brought up on the computer. With all due respect, why couldn't you get this on the _Melete_?"

"Let's just say I have my reasons and leave it at that. What is your personal opinion of him?"

"He's a danger. His wife is probably dead, and I think she was the one person that kept him sane. That and he had a command of some sort. Personally, I think he had some friends in high places that kept him out of trouble."

Carter nodded and then said, "Thank you, Admiral Jonasson, if I need you again you'll know."

With that the connection was severed, and Carter had the Communications Officer patch him through to the hangar. Not long after he was done with his call, Lt. Michael "Dragon" Sasser was on his way to the _Olympica _to deliver Mitchell Cain to the _Melete_. Cain had been a high-level spy for the Intelligence Ministry, and had a knack for using any type of computer technology to his advantage. The man was a distant relative of the Cains that were commanding officers and admirals in the Colonial Fleet. If there was one person who could keep Hendrix from setting off the scuttling charges, it would be him.

_**Melete**_** (Port Hangar Bay):**

"I hope you have something in your bag of tricks that will work." Carter said to Mitchell Cain after shaking the man's hand.

"Fear not Admiral, I brought plenty of gadgets with me that can get the job done." Cain said confidently.

"Just why did you bring your work with you when you took this trip on the _Olympica_?" Carter asked before holding up his hand when Cain began to respond. "On second thought, Mr. Cain, I don't think I want to know."

"Fair enough Admiral, now where are we heading and why am I on this relic?" Cain asked as they walked away from the hangar.

"It all started when I read this report on the fire…" Carter began the story, and Cain listened intently as they made their way to the Auxiliary CIC.

_**Melete **_**(CIC):**

Lt. Clint Jarvis stared at the computer at the Tactical Station, waiting for the response to his message. He had sent Petty Officer Reyna Kidd away on a meaningless errand. With her away he had Tactical and the important thing was that he not be disturbed.

"_Where is Carter?"_ The message popped up on the computer screen.

"_Aux. CIC, he asked Tactical how to get there." _

"_Can you update me on what he is doing?" _

Jarvis thought about it for a moment, _"He didn't say, my attempts to access Communications for that room have not worked." _

The response was instantaneous, _"Try harder, damn you!"_

Jarvis stiffened. He had to find out what Carter was up to, Commander Hendrix was counting on him.

"_Yes sir, I will get whatever information for you that I can. Is there anything else you require?" _

"_Yes, send word to the Praetorium in case something should happen to me. Whatever you do, do not let Carter discover this message." _

"_I will hide the message in a vague damage report that should include enough technical jargon to make it practically impossible to read." _

"_Very good Mister Jarvis, now keep trying to gain access to the Aux. CIC and keep your head down. I cannot afford to have Carter suspecting that you are working for me."_

_**Melete**_** (Auxiliary CIC):**

"This is like shooting fish in a barrel!" Mitchell Cain exclaimed.

Carter did not say something right away; he just stood there and thought to himself that Cain looked like he was having way too much fun.

With his tall frame, average build, and shaved head, Mitchell Cain did not strike a person as a secret agent. The long scar that ran vertically on his left cheek gave him the look of a thug who had managed to live to see his late twenties. The fact that he was wearing black jeans and a faded red University of Onuris t-shirt only added to the image.

"Care to elaborate?" Carter finally asked.

"Two people have tried to gain access to the communications feed, the tactical logs, and the camera systems for this room."

"Alright, why is this making you happy?"

"Because Admiral, I have been able to counter them each time with ease." Cain said as he took a device out of his backpack and inserted one end of into a slot on the Tactical Console.

"What is that?" Carter asked, letting his curiosity get the better of him.

"It's called a Spider Web. It's a program that will block access to the vital systems of this room. Our friends can keep trying to hack in, but they're only going to get a lot of frustration."

"What are you working on right now?"

"If our man Hendrix has control of the ship, then it's up to me to find the program that's allowing him to do that."

"Alright, now can you disable the deadman's switch?"

Cain nodded, "It'll be tricky, but I'm sure I can handle it. Give me time and I can make it happen."

"Very well. I'm going to check on Hendrix. I'll come back to check on your progress." Carter said as he turned around and left the Auxiliary CIC.

_**Athena**_**:**

Commander Charlie Watts paced back and forth in the wardroom of the Battlestar _Athena_. He was in his early fifties now, having finally moved up to the rank of Commander due to the slowness of promotions in the peace-time Colonial Fleet. It was during a fire in the Primary Ammunition Storage of the Battlestar _Icarus_ that he had been decorated for heroism and promoted from Colonel to Commander. He was originally assigned to command the Battlestar _Selacia_, but was instead tasked to serve as Admiral Tolan's XO during the weapons exercises that would have resulted in the destruction of the Battlestars _Athena_ and _Ares_ had the Cylons not attacked.

There had been some rumors that the chemicals breathed in during the ordeal on the _Icarus_ had resulted in medical problems for Watts, but they had been brushed aside as the Admiralty had no desire to give a man now considered a hero such an unworthy sendoff. He was a man of average height, and the slight paunch on his stomach was evidence that he had not been spending much time exercising. Despite a career in space his skin was deeply tanned, and his green eyes could either be calm and understanding or harsh and piercing like a cobra waiting to strike. Other noticeable features of the man, apart from his thinning gray hair, were his prominent ears and wide chin.

The weapons tests were intended to see the results of the latest weaponry on the two decommissioned battlestars. The Colonial Fleet made painstaking efforts to get the two ships looking as they had when they had been in commissioned. Every piece of equipment that had been removed over the course of time had been put back in, usually from other battlestars and various ships destined for the scrap yard. The Fleet went so far as to install as much furniture and assorted items to give the two ships the appearance of having still been in commission. While the outside observer would have thought _Athena_ and _Ares _were stripped down hulls, in actuality they were relatively easy to bring back into commission. The only problems they had dealt mainly with the faulty equipment that still required a high-level of maintenance.

At the table in front of Commander Watts sat his senior staff, wondering if they had caught their normally even-tempered commanding officer on an off day.

"You're telling me that you don't think we can have the old girl up and going in time for the Ostarsis operation?" He pointedly asked his XO.

"Going by the reports we have available, I'd wager that Admiral Carter is overreaching in his desire to rescue the prisoners," Colonel James Brannigan said emphatically. The man had recently been promoted to the rank of Colonel. Before he had been the CAG of the _Basilisk_, but when the _Titan_-class Battlestar was lost at the Battle of Carillon he was assigned to the escort Battlestar _Maytoria_ as an instructor. Watts' original XO, Colonel Willis Barton, had been selected by David Rush to serve as the military advisor for his administration.

"I think most of the crew is suffering from fatigue and probably some form of shell shock after the loss at Ochoa," Dr. Darla Rosario replied. A woman of considerable experience, she had a doctorate in Psychology to go along with her medical degree, having served on the medical staff of the _Sphinx_ before being moved to the _Athena _upon the Battlestar's commissioning back into service.

"The fact that we did sustain battle damage is a factor. Not to mention that our air group sustained losses – in general, our staffing level might be slightly below a skeleton crew right now. Tactically we're at a disadvantage," Lt. Shauna Willis added.

Watts slammed a hand on the table, "We need to produce results, not find reasons to run scared and not engage our enemy. It's not your job to make excuses – your job is to get results. Right now I'd say that all you guys do well is making these excuses." He stopped for a moment and then went back to speaking, "It's either a _tactical _thing, or a _morale_ thing, or a _battle damage _thing, or a _heart attack_."

Dr. Rosario looked up from her notes, "Who was it that used heart attack?"

Watts made eye contact with her, "Me." When he said that he fell to the floor and Rosario ran to the wall and called for a med team to immediately come to the wardroom. With that done, she sprinted over to where the officers had huddled around where Watts lay on the floor. She pushed away the ones that were in her way, and began to immediately perform CPR on the Commander until the med team arrived.

**Cosmora:**

_**Victorious:**_

"How are the repairs proceeding on the _Sphinx_?" Tolan asked Lt. Zelada. Since the retreat of the Cylon task force, the repairs crews were making repairs to the gaping holes in the starboard side of the _Sphinx_.

"Within the hour the patches will be welded into place. This should enable the power to be turned back on in capable areas."

"Very good," Tolan rubbed his eyes, suddenly realizing just how tired he really was.

According to these reports, the _Victorious_ was not as heavily damaged as the _Sphinx_. Strangely enough, the _Helios_ had sustained minimal damage, lending credence to the rumor that had been circulating that the Battlestar was a lucky ship. His eyes began to scan the casualty estimates so far, which were about what he had estimated. The task force had defeated the Cylon force, but had paid a heavy price for it. Tolan bitterly laughed to himself at that thought – at this point in time, any casualty was a heavy price. With finite resources and only so many trainees in the training fleet, they had even gone so far as to parole the military prisoners from the _Styx_, at least the ones that seemed to have the best chance of being productive members of the Fleet.

"We lost one hundred and thirty-five vipers, and with that we lost ninety-seven pilots. We have estimates that place the casualties relatively high from the _Sphinx_ alone. In order to get a better picture of the losses I'll need casualty reports from Kronus' group," Tolan said to himself.

"Sir, Admiral Kronus is requesting a word with you," Petty Officer Hawk informed him from the Communications Station.

Tolan nodded and picked up the nearby receiver, "This is Tolan."

"What's the status of your battle group?"

Tolan stifled a yawn, "We took a beating, right now it's far too early to tell just how severe it was."

"Understood, now go to your quarters and get some sleep. You sound like you're going to pass out at any moment."

Tolan shook his head, "I've been through longer periods of sleep deprivation."

"In that case, I'm issuing you a direct order to go to your rack and get some sleep. You're not doing any good like this. I'll let Admiral Sakura know that she's in command of the group until you've got a full eight."

"You do know that we hold same rank; technically you can't order me to do anything."

Kronus laughed, "Seniority my friend, it's a thing of beauty. I have decades of it on you; therefore, I can pull rank. And that is exactly what I'm going to do – I'm ordering you to get some sleep."

Tolan let out a long sigh, "Aye aye, Sir. I'll go get some rack time."

"That's what I like to hear, you stubborn mule from Canceron," Kronus said before cutting off the connection.

Tolan turned to face Hawk and Zelada, "The two of you should be proud; you upheld the good name of the Fleet. Finish up your duties here, and then I want you to get some rest. You more than earned it."

It was then that he left the Flag CIC. Twenty minutes later, after navigating around several damaged areas of the ship, Scott Tolan laid down in his bed and was unconscious before his head even hit the pillow.

**One Hour Later:**

_**Melete:**_

"How are things looking for me?" Hendrix asked Carter once he returned to the room.

"Looking great. I spoke to my XO, on the _Atlantia_, they should be beginning prep on your Raptor soon."

"I hope they don't take too long, I would hate to set another scuttling charge."

Carter laughed, "You do know that you only have so many left..."

"Well then, give me what I want, or else I'll get bored and the _Melete_ will go _boom_."

"How do you suppose we're going to do that?" Carter asked.

"Let's see just how well of a Triad player you are, Admiral." Hendrix said as he reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a deck of cards.

The phone on the desk began to ring. Hendrix picked it up, and acknowledged that Carter was present. He handed the phone over to Carter, and listened as the admiral had what seemed to be a very solemn conversation.

"Tell Colonel Brannigan that I'm promoting him to Commander and he's now in command of the _Athena_. When the rest of the fleet returns from Cosmora we'll hold a memorial service for Commander Watts."

Carter said before handing the phone back to Hendrix to hang up.

"What happened to Commander Watts?" Hendrix asked, letting his curiosity get the better of him.

"He suffered a massive heart attack and died not long after…" Carter was quiet before saying, "Now deal the cards."

Hendrix began to deal. "What do you think about the people who say you're only in your position because you're friends with Admiral Tolan?"

Carter shook his head, "I have a history with Scott Tolan. I really didn't become friends with him until I was assigned to the _Mercury_. I earned my stripes, friendships notwithstanding."

Hendrix looked unconvinced, "That's your story." He put the cards down on the table. "How is it that Admiral Tolan was able to move up so high in the peace-time fleet? I've read up on the man – his star really began to shine once he hooked up with that hot little number he married."

Carter fixed Hendrix with a hard glare, "Her name is Emily."

"Did I touch a nerve? I'm going to go out on a limb here, and wager that the good Admiral Tolan and the Hot Little Number, Emily, had a military wedding. Were you part of the officer detail for the saber arch?" Hendrix asked.

"Are we going to play Triad?" Carter asked impatiently.

Hendrix smiled at him, "Of course we will; but I want to follow this tangent our conversation has taken."

Carter let out a sigh, "Yes, I was part of the officer detail for the saber arch. In fact, I was the officer in charge of it."

"So if you weren't the best of friends with the man, how did you get that particular honor?" Hendrix asked with a sarcastic edge in his voice.

"The Admiral's original choice was the leader of _Mercury_'s Viper Squadron Two, Captain Zane Phelps. They had been friends since their Academy days, but he had to be replaced at the last minute. I was asked to fill in – something that I was happy to do for him."

"I bet you enjoyed giving Miss Emily the customary swat on the backside, didn't you?" Hendrix asked as he tried to play with Carter's mind.

"It was a gentle swat – and yes I did, but it was to say 'Welcome to the Fleet!' to her as well." With the saber arch it was customary for the last two saber bearers to lower the sabers in front of the couple, detaining them momentarily. It was the saber bearer, to the couple's left, job to give the bride a gentle swat on her backside with his saber, announcing "Welcome to the Fleet!"

Carter had enough of this and wanted to change the subject. "So tell me of this obsession with Admiral Tolan?"

"Very well then, I was supposed to get command of the Battlestar _Kios_, but Tolan used his pull to get his XO the command. I got thrown the _Melete_ as a salve to my wounded pride. I haven't forgiven him for costing me the command of a first-rate Battlestar. Here I am, in a piece-of-junk escort Battlestar – it's beneath a man of my talents."

"Before you give me the 'it's beneath a man of my talents speech,' think about that for a second. If you had been given command of the _Kios_ instead of Bridget Woods then you would either be dead or imprisoned on Ostarsis."

Hendrix scoffed, "Better that than being stuck on this relic with a bunch of rooks that have no potential whatsoever."

Carter was going to say something, but Hendrix held up a hand, "I'm getting bored with this conversation. Let's see how you handle me whooping your ass at Triad."

For Carter, being patient with Hendrix was a miracle. He had to keep this madman calm and willing to play nice. It went against his very nature to bury his temper so deep that it would have no chance to make an appearance. At least he knew that it would not be long until Mitchell Cain finished scouring the _Melete_'s systems to see what other nasty surprises Hendrix had in store for them.

"Do you realize that not everyone in this fleet agrees with the Admiralty?" Hendrix asked.

"Why does that matter?" Carter asked.

"Let's just say that maybe I was part of a group of officers that felt the leadership wasn't doing the proper job of fighting the Cylons. Something like that could cause trouble down the road."

Carter arched an eyebrow, "What might make this hypothetical group do something?" He wanted to add a 'stupid' to that but knew it would not be wise.

"Let me think, maybe if you were to arrest and imprison one of the members, or even shoot and kill him. That would send the wrong message, and cause something bad to happen."

"We just couldn't have that then," Carter said before turning his attention to his cards.

_**Victorious**_** (Sick Bay):**

"Admiral Sakura, thank you for coming by on such short notice." Andre said to Naomi Sakura when he met up with her at Sick Bay.

"My pleasure, Commander." She said as she followed Andre into the hectic Sick Bay.

The _Victorious_, like other ships of the _Mercury/Illustrious_ class, had eight, fully equipped, operating rooms, along with a 1,200-bed hospital. In addition, there were two emergency operating rooms, four dental operating rooms, x-ray rooms, a blood bank, laboratories, and patient wards. These were built for the Battlestar in case of a major battle, or in case the _Vic_ was needed for a large humanitarian mission. In order to facilitate the transfer of wounded to Sick Bay, the ship was built with three high-speed medical elevators.

Upon entering Ward Three, which held private rooms, Naomi Sakura saw two Marines on guard duty at Door Five.

"Is this really necessary, Commander?" Sakura asked.

"Until I can discover why Lieutenant Alonzo was on that baseship, yes." Andre said matter-of-factly.

"How can you be certain that he was in cahoots with his father's plan to attack us?"

Andre raised an eyebrow at her, "Good question."

"On the _Helios_, he has been an excellent officer and seems loyal," Sakura said.

"That may be true, but he was nothing but trouble on the _Sphinx_. You read the reports. For all we know he is a great actor."

Naomi put a hand on his shoulder, "We don't blame the sins of the father on the son."

Andre nodded, "Very well, Admiral, and let's see how he got to be on that baseship."

In a private room, Chris Alonzo was sedated at the moment, the IV providing a steady stream of pain medicine, medicine that should be used for loyal officers, thought the Admiral.

Looking at the young lieutenant, Graystone began to doubt his initial assessment of Chris Alonzo. If he was faking, that was some good cover up, making him wonder who else was in cahoots and how deep any conspiracy might go.

"Does that look like a collaborator?" Sakura whispered to Andre, who could only shake his head.

"It would appear I was mistaken about him," Andre whispered back.

"Close the door, Commander – we need to find out how the Alonzo family was taken by the Cylons." Sakura said as she pulled up a chair to the side of the bed, where Gloria and Louise Alonzo sat.

**Cosmora:**

_**Svalin:**_

With the battle over, there were other matters to tend to on the warstar _Svalin_. John Kronus was determined to settle his differences Alice Hyde. She had lied to him repeatedly since they had met, even though she seemed to feel it was more a case of being discreet with her information. Commander Arrington and the rest of the senior staff were involved in gathering information to put together their status reports; they had convened in the Officer's Wardroom to sort out the information before giving the reports to Kronus.

The mood in the CIC was somber; Lt. Kirsty Emelin was now the Officer of the Watch. With the battle over, Admiral Kronus set Condition Two throughout the ship. Kronus and General Hyde had left the CIC, in route to his quarters to discuss various matters that had arisen due the discovery of her considerably large group of civilian and military personnel.

**Fifty-Seven Minutes Later:**

Lt. Tyree Holt was walking with his commanding officer, Commander Maria Arrington. The Chief of Operations forwarded to them the latest reports on the repairs to the _Victorious_ and _Sphinx._ The situation warranted passing it on to the admiral. They needed a decision from the top. Not much was said as they navigated the corridors that led to Officer's Country where the Admiral's Quarters were located. When they reached the door, Arrington went to knock, but stayed her hand when they heard loud shouting coming from behind the door.

"Look, I'd love to talk about this, but right now, I need a drink, a _big_ drink," Kronus said, the clear hint of irritation in his voice.

"So, is this how you celebrate your great victories: pouring yourself a big glass of booze, becoming just as shit-faced as the members of your crew are bound to be?"

"You want to call this a great victory? Right now we can't afford to have any more like it. The personnel we lost cannot be replaced, and if we lose the _Sphinx_, then that's another Battlestar gone. If you've seen – we don't have a lot of those left. So, I think I've earned myself the right to have a drink. Seriously, is that what you're really mad about?"

"Of course not! Drink to your heart's content. I'm not that petty – anyways, you know damned well why I'm mad!" Hyde fumed.

"Whether you like it or not, I'm going to recommend that we merge your Army units with the Marine Corps units. The finer details can be worked out, but you will play nice with General Maxwell and make this a smooth transition."

"That is unacceptable, do you hear me? Unacceptable!"

"I'm drunk, not deaf." Kronus snorted, downing the dregs in his glass.

Outside in the hall, the two officers heard the sound of footsteps crossing the room and then Hyde saying, "Unacceptable!" The two exchanged furtive looks. They knew a showdown like that was not good for anyone. Arrington sighed heavily, shaking her head.

"What Commander?"

"You've heard the scuttlebutt. It's not healthy to be on Kronus' bad side."

There was the sound of a table being knocked over, and, for what seemed like an eternity, the only sound they heard was a soft thudding, like something was hitting the wall.

"Do you think…."Holt asked, not wanting to finish the question.

Arrington had an idea as to what was going on but it was not something she wanted to picture going on, "Not touching it with a ten foot pole. If you're smart, you'll forget you heard any of that."

"Any of what, Commander," Holt said deadpan, but the message was clear.

The two of them quickly made their way down the corridor, a safe distance from the door to Kronus' quarters. They each took a few pages of the report, and none of the people who passed by would have guessed that they were trying to hide the fact that they had overheard the heated argument between Kronus and Hyde. Finally the door opened, followed by the sound of footsteps heading down the corridor in a hurry.

Holt and Arrington stepped into the middle of the corridor to make their way to Kronus' quarters. They turned a corner and there in front of them stood General Hyde appraising the two officers before saying, "If you will excuse me, Commander, Lieutenant." With that, she walked past them and down the corridor.

Without saying a word to each other, they went to Kronus' quarters. A knock on the door and soon the admiral made his way to the door. He looked at them without saying a word.

"Admiral, are you all right?" Arrington asked, giving a salute out of habit which Kronus returned.

"I'm fine, Commander. What brings the two of you to my quarters?"

"We have a new set of reports from the _Victorious_ and the _Sphinx_ – we knew you'd want to be kept informed of the situation." Holt said, stepping in when Arrington seemed to be frozen in place.

"Very good, is there anything else?"

Finally Arrington spoke, "Colonel Heyworth will be coming by within the hour with more reports." She was referring to Colonel Leighton Heyworth. He was her XO, and before that had been the main gunnery officer for the _Svalin_.

Kronus was quiet for a moment before saying, "Very good. The two of you are dismissed. Commander Arrington, I want you to go relieve Miss Emelin as Officer of the Watch in CIC."

_**Sphinx:**_

"Commander, the repair teams have welded the patches onto the hull and are ready to turn the power back on for the starboard side. I need your authorization." Chief Valeria Donovan said from her Damage Control station on the port hangar deck.

In the CIC, Omega took a deep breath and thought about whether or not he should give the order. There was a part of him that worried about a spark igniting a fire, or the power relays simply being too damaged on the starboard side to allow power to be restored. The more thought he gave it, there was a fear at the _Sphinx_ may simply be too badly damaged to save. This was his first command, and considering the circumstances it might be his only command for quite some time. Finally he made his decision, "Very well then, go ahead and turn the power on."

In the cold blackness of the starboard side of the _Sphinx_, lights began to flicker and come to life. There was just one problem: the ruptured fuel lines on the port hangar had released some of their tylium fuel. With the patches welded into place, where the starboard flight pod had joined the main hull, the fumes from the fuel that had not been sucked out into the vacuum of space had begun to build up. In the wreckage of the Officers Wardroom, a wire sparked…

**Cosmora:**

_**Sphinx**_**:**

There was a solitary Raptor left out of the group that had ferried the salvage party over to the Battlestar. Out of that group the only one still near the ship was a Raptor, piloted by Lt. Frederick "Spider" Lokrum of the _Victorious_. He was there in case of an emergency, such as someone getting hurt and needing transport to the one of the other ships for medical attention. It was a basic necessity when attempting to salvage a heavily damaged ship, there were no certainties that the salvage party would suffer no injuries.

The repair ship _Cepheus_, one of the ships discovered by Admiral Kronus, began to pull away from the battered starboard side of the _Sphinx_ and maneuvered around to make its way back to the rest of the fleet. The silence was broken by the occasional exchanges of communications chatter between members of the fifty-three person salvage crew that had come onboard in an attempt to get the ship running again.

He had lost track of how long they had been there. There were other things he would have rather been doing, and flying a holding pattern around a nearly derelict ship was _not_ one of them.

A small flicker along the starboard side of the hull caught his eye. At first he was tempted to dismiss it as just a figment of his imagination, something to help keep him going despite the boredom he was feeling. Then a huge column of flames shot out of the starboard side, followed by several explosions. The strength of the new patches failed as they shot off the hull, causing Lokrum to do some deft maneuvering to keep his Raptor from being hit.

_**Sphinx**_** (CIC):**

Commander Travis Omega was in the CIC, along with Lt. Stephanie Bridges and Ensign Javier Valenzuela. The two officers had volunteered to come along with the salvage party in an attempt to get the CIC up and running once more. The two had been on the Sphinx for almost a year and a half. When Omega took command, he read the fitness reports on the senior staff. Tyrone Carter held particularly strong opinions on the two officers. Twenty-five year old Stephanie Bridges had come from a working class background on Picon. She had worked through a tumultuous family crisis during her last year at the Fleet Academy and still managed to graduate in the top third of her class.

Twenty-three year old Javier Valenzuela was from an upper-middle class upbringing. His father had been an executive with the Vipernae Corporation, while his mother was a journalist with the _Delphi Telegraph_. He struggled during his first two years at the Academy, but seemed to have pulled himself together well enough to graduate in the top half of his class.

The reports coming in from Chief Donovan appeared indicate that the power was coming back on to a majority of the starboard side. They would allow it to run for another hour to make sure it stayed on and begin a proper survey of the damaged interior. "Miss Bridges, I am going to go to my quarters and gather some belongings to take off the ship with me. I want you and Mister Valenzuela to stay here and continue your work. Anything arises that needs my attention, let me know. Otherwise, I'll return in about half an hour." He told the two officers, who promptly saluted him. He returned it and left the CIC. If he had an hour to spare, it would give him the chance to get his belongings together to take off the ship with him.

"How do you think he's holding up?" Valenzuela asked Bridges.

She shrugged, "He seems to be taking it well. If he's upset or doubtful about saving the _Sphinx_, he's not showing it all that much."

"Maybe he's just trying to set an example for the rest of us. I'm surprised Admiral Tolan hasn't given the order to just abandon ship and blow her up."

Bridges laughed, "If he decides to do that, I hope he gives us the chance to get off of here first."

They heard a loud explosion and both of them looked up from their work stations.

"Frak me, what was what?" Valenzuela shouted.

"Don't know – try to get the Commander on the phone and I'll get Tactical up and running, so I can get a damage report."

Their training kicking in at the first explosion, the two officers ran to their stations and got to work. The _Sphinx_ rattled, and seemed to be tearing itself apart at the seams from the sounds emanating from the forward part of the ship. It was as if some huge invisible hand had taken hold of the battlestar and was shaking it like a play toy. Moments later their thoughts were interrupted by more explosions – shaking the ship more violently than when the Cylon Raider had done its suicide dive into the starboard hangar. When that happened the _Sphinx_ went through a similar motion. Both remembered the way that they had been thrown to the pitching deck violently, worried that this was going to be their last moments alive. The lights had flickered before going out; they had said their prayers to the gods and waited for the end to come. Blissfully, the lights came back on and while the lighting was dim it was an improvement over the pitch blackness. The consoles came back on as the emergency power brought them back online. Commander Omega began issuing orders to them in an attempt to find out just how badly damaged the battlestar was. Neither Bridges nor Valenzuela had time to finish their thoughts as the far wall of the CIC disintegrated, and they were consumed by a wall of fire.

_**Sphinx:**_

**Commanding Officer's Quarters:**

Already in his rack organizing his pack to ship out, Travis Omega heard the explosions. Reflexes kicked in as training took over. Sprinting through the corridors to the CIC, he searched for a secondary access because the primary was blocked. As he began to make his way up a ladder in the bulkhead service tube, the concussion wave of one of the explosions knocked him off the ladder and onto the hard metal deck with a loud thud. His focus on gray metal morphed into blinding light as he passed out.

**Cosmora:**

"Raptor 428, if you can hear this message, leave the airspace immediately. Save yourself, do not come for us." The voice sounded like Valeria Donovan, Deck Chief of the _Sphinx_. He had flown her and Commander Omega over from the_ Victorious_, and informed the two of them that he would be staying nearby in case he was needed.

"This is Raptor 428. I'll land on the port flight pod and take off as many survivors as possible." Lokrum said as he turned his Raptor around and tried to land on the wounded _Sphinx_ as quickly as possible.

On the _Sphinx_, Valeria Donovan looked around and saw the smoke beginning to fill the hangar. In all of her years of service to the Colonial Fleet, she could not recall a time when she had seen so much damage inflicted on one ship. She quickly came back to her senses and her mind recognized the fact that the only chance of survival for her and the salvage party was to don their emergency gear. It was then that she began a fit of coughing. When it finally stopped she said to Lokrum, "I'll get as many people to you as I can. I doubt you'll get all of us off in time. The fires are burning really strong." It was then that she severed the connection.

Lokrum did not think he had taken a long time to reach the _Sphinx_. However, by the time he landed on the port flight pod there was already a group assembled on the flight pod in their pressurized suits. Donovan was among the group and directed eleven of them to board the Raptor.

He made several trips, and most of the salvage crew was rescued from the _Sphinx_. In his eyes the credit for the high survival rate belonged to the actions of Chief Donovan. If she had not taken control of the situation and made sure she got as many people to the port flight pod as she could, there was no telling just how many people would have been lost. On his last trip he carried the unconscious Commander Omega. One of the deck gang had gone looking for survivors and came across the _Sphinx's_ CO. When he was done with his last transport he left the _Helios_ to make his way back home to the _Victorious_.

Once again he was alone with his thoughts, and they would not allow him to forget what he had just gone through. As he flew he said a silent prayer for the souls of those lost in the explosion, and relayed a message to Commander Graystone, Admiral Sakura, and Admiral Kronus informing them as to what had happened. The _Sphinx_ was still as intact as a Battlestar could be after the pounding it had taken, that in and of itself was a minor miracle.

_**Solace**_**:**

Andrea Graystone and Dr. Christopher McCain walked from the waiting area where her friends and family had been waiting to the ICU room where Emily had been since she had been injured during the Olympica Riots.

Andie was not quite sure what to expect when they entered the room, but it was as it had been for the past few months. Emily lay there with her eyes closed, quite motionless.

"I'm going to get the waiting room where my family is on the phone, that way they can hear what you have to say as well." Andie knew it sounded less like a suggestion and more like a demand.

McCain acquiesced and shortly thereafter the communications link was established.

"In the case of your sister, we believe that she gradually woke up and nobody noticed." Dr. McCain said.

"The important thing is that she did regain consciousness…" Andrea Graystone began to say, not knowing if she wanted to finish the rest of the statement. Afraid of the answer but compelled to ask, she looked at the doctor who nodded.

"It's too early to tell right now."

"She's going to make a full recovery," Andie said with all of her conviction.

"Stay positive, but no promises. Sometimes we get surprises."

By Emily's beside, Andrea smoothed the face she loved so well. "YOU are going to make a full recovery." It didn't matter whether the doctor believed her or not, she was certain that her younger sister would recover. Just imagining the grim faces of other people in the room made her feel a little trepidation at the thought of her friends and family how bad it really was. Above all else, she worried about her nice and nephews. She could not even begin to imagine how this would affect Andrew, Henry, and Lisa. How would they deal with the idea that their mother might never be the same again?

As she had done many times since the _Olympica_ Riots, Andie grabbed Emily's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. However, this time Emily opened her eyes and looked up at her sister.

"Andie…" She said weakly with a smile.

"Hey sis, it's great to see those blue eyes of yours again. I'd ask how you felt but that's kind of obvious."

"Yeah, I've tried to remember why I'm here…"

Andie smiled at her, "What's the last thing you remember?"

"Water, please?" Emily asked with a voice that seemed barely audible.

Andie told her that she would be right back, and came back shortly with a Styrofoam cup of ice water with a bendable straw. She held it to her sister's mouth, and Emily coughed as she tried to drink her first sips of water in months.

"Easy girl, take some small sips. Don't go and overdue it." Andie said though she was sure her sister wanted to. It seemed to take a while, but Emily appeared to get better at drinking.

"Where's Scott?" Emily asked her voice not quite as weak as it was under the influence from all the pain meds that had been pumped into her.

The battle group had yet to return from Cosmora, and Andie realized that was not something she needed to divulge just yet.

"Listen sis, I'll fill you in on everything that's gone on and by then I'm sure Scott will be here to see you." Andie said to her, and began to recount the story of the Cylon attacks along with the events of the past seven months.

**Five Hours Later**

_**Melete**_**:**

"What is taking so damn long to get that Raptor here?" Hendrix asked Carter. They were now on their twelfth round of Triad in the Commander's Quarters.

"These things take time. I don't have to tell you how to requisition a shuttle flight. Plus we need a pilot from the _Olympica_ to fly the Raptor back once you had disembarked." Carter said patiently.

"Forget about the pilot, I can fly it over to the _Olympica_ myself." There was a moment of silence and then Hendrix said, "Enough talk, show me what you got?" He was making sure he didn't show any signs of tipping his hand.

"Well, I fear that must bring this game to a close." Carter said as he laid down his cards, "Full Colors, Hendrix – I believe that means I win, yet again."

Hendrix threw his cards down in disgust, "What is that now, twelve hands in a row? Carter, you son of a bitch, nobody's that lucky!

Carter gave Hendrix a look of concern, "I don't know what to tell you Luke, I would never cheat you. Especially at a time like this."

Hendrix gave him a tired look, "Enough games, get me my damn Raptor before I decide to set off another of the scuttling charges."

Carter got up from the table, "I'll see if I can speed things up."

After Carter left, Hendrix heard the Marine outside chuckle.

"Well, Corporal Gaines, would you be so kind as to tell me what is so funny?" Hendrix demanded.

The Marine looked into the room and said, "If I ever saw a man holding a bull by the tail, you're it."

_**Melete**_** (Hangar Bay):**

"Acting Chief Avis Vance, reporting as ordered." The new deck chief of the _Melete_ said as she walked to the Raptor next to Carter.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but you look kind of young to be a Chief Petty Officer. Have you even hit thirty yet?" Carter asked, knowing he was probably offending the woman.

"I turn thirty in four months, Sir. Also, none of the other petty officers wanted the job, out of fear that they would end up the way Chief Macias did." The confident looking brunette said stiffly, not looking offended, but making sure she stood her ground on the issue of her qualifications.

"Very good, Chief, it wasn't my intention to offend you." Carter said attempting to be diplomatic.

Silently Carter cursed himself for not paying more attention, even though there was not much if anything he could have done. "Well, you and your deck gang have a chance for a little payback, that is if you're interested."

Vance gave him a wicked smile, "For the chance to bring down Hendrix, I'd do anything you asked of me."

He smiled back at her, "Good. I want you to make some modifications to this Raptor."

"That's easy, Sir. I thought you were going to challenge me."

"Here's the challenging part, I want you to make sure this Raptor completely shuts down once it leaves the _Melete_. I'm talking about everything except life support, causing this thing to turn itself into a floating brick, for all intents and purposes. Can you do that?"

"Like I said, for the chance to bring down Hendrix, I'll do whatever you need me to do."

"How long will you need?" Carter asked, knowing he would have to keep Hendrix going for a period of time, but that the effort would be well worth it.

"An hour or so, tops, I don't think I'll have trouble finding volunteers for the job." Vance said, before saluting and walking off to round up her people for the job.

_**Melete**_** (Auxiliary CIC):**

"Please tell me you have neutralized the deadman's switch?" Carter asked Cain as soon as he entered the room.

"I believe so."

"What did you do?"

"Well…" Cain began, "Let's just say I took control of the ship from him, but if he looks at his computer he won't be aware of it. He can enter anything he wants, and it's not going to do one thing."

"Works for me, I think." Carter said, relieved that Hendrix had been rendered incapable of blowing the ship up.

"I've accessed his computer, not that he knows it, and I'm watching what he does. I'll stay here and keep an eye on him from this end. Let me know when you have him off the ship."

Carter nodded and left the room, now he just had to wait and give Chief Vance the time she needed to get the Raptor ready.

**Thirty-Seven Minutes Later:**

"Chief, I thought you said you needed an hour or so?" Carter asked Vance when he saw her on the hangar deck.

"Well, I got plenty of volunteers for the job."

Carter was still stunned, "Just how many did you get?"

Vance shrugged, ""Every member of the deck gang, along with Lieutenant Sasser. It seems Commander Hendrix was only liked by the officers." Vance was referring to Lieutenant Michael "Dragon" Sasser, the pilot who had brought Carter to the _Melete_ for his inspection.

"Indeed. I'll send word to the Commander that his chariot awaits him," Carter said as he walked over to a nearby communications station and got in touch with Corporal Gaines. He then hung up the phone and waited.

Fifteen minutes later, Corporal Gaines and Commander Hendrix walked onto the hangar. Hendrix looked like he had no care in the world – though he made sure the look of disdain covered his face and was pointed at any member of the deck gang that bothered to look in his direction.

When Hendrix reached the Raptor, he looked over at Carter. "I keep thinking to myself, 'Luke you should take your new friend Tyrone with you on this trip.'"

"Why would you want to do that?" Carter asked.

"Because I don't trust you. You easily procured me a Raptor, but I feel like I need an insurance policy."

"Insurance against what?"

"Any tricks you might have up your sleeve. You see, you promised me safe passage to the _Olympica_ and that I would be immune from any prosecution."

Carter nodded, "That is what I told you; there's no reason to doubt me."

Hendrix stepped in close to Carter so that none could hear what was being said, "Remember one thing, if anything happens to me or you renege on your promise there will be consequences."

Carter kept his gaze even, "Now what are you talking about, Luke?"

"I have people on this ship who are loyal to me, and not just officers. You know there are enlisted personnel on here that have the same beliefs as I do. If word gets back to those officers in the fleet that do not hold either you or your golden boy Tolan in the highest regards…" Hendrix let the last part of that statement hang, but it was a threat nonetheless.

Carter wanted to say many things to him, but knew it would not be wise to do so. "Let's hope it never comes to that."

"Indeed." Hendrix said as he turned away to head for the Raptor.

When he reached the Raptor, Carter walked up bid him farewell once more.

"Well, I suppose this is goodbye, Commander." Carter said, with a tactful tone.

"That's 'Iron Luke' to you jackass, you're not worthy of calling me by my rank." Hendrix was hoping to goad Carter into losing his temper, sort of a parting shot.

"Very well then, have a good time on the _Olympica_. They have everything ready for you." Carter motioned with his arm for Hendrix to enter the Raptor.

Once the Raptor was ready to launch, Carter walked to where Chief Vance was standing with a group of crewmen and Lt. Jarvis, "Our boy is ready to launch. Is everything ready?"

Vance nodded, "When he gets out of range of the transponder we put on there, the Raptor will shut down just like you wanted…well, almost like you wanted."

Carter raised an eyebrow, "Almost?"

"Well some of us decided to give Iron Luke a going away present. When the Raptor powers down, life support will still be on of course. There will also be a special recording playing for him. We decided to have an impromptu karaoke night, and we recorded the very worst of our singing for him to listen to until you decide to pick him up."

"Chief Vance, what you're putting the Commander through is torture!" Jarvis declared.

Carter laughed heartily, "No, Mister Jarvis that is punishment."

"We gave the Commander a great selection of music to listen to, while his raptor is inoperable." Vance noted.

"Really, now what did you knuckle draggers record for Iron Luke?" Carter asked.

"Let's see…" Vance began, compiling a list of the songs they had recorded. "There's 'The Happy Caprican and His Dog', 'Going Home to Canceron', 'Shut Up and Drive', 'An Aquarian Lullaby', 'Cliffs of Elysium, 'Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye', 'The Foggy Dew', 'The Spinning Wheel', 'Dreams of Tauron', 'Rocky Road to Delphi', 'Give Me Your Hand, 'All Through the Night', 'Dirty Old Town', and I'd be remiss if I didn't tell you that we also sang 'I'll Tell My Ma'."

Carter's eyes went wide in amazement, "What possessed you to do all of those songs?"

Vance smiled, "We got inspired to sing as many as we could for Iron Luke. To top it off, we sang each and every one of those songs like a bunch of drunken fisherman that couldn't carry a note in a wet paper bag."

Carter smiled and then began laughing at the thought of the pain Luke Hendrix's ears were about to go endure, "Acting Chief Vance, when this is over I am going to assign you and your gang to the _Atlantia_."

"That's very nice of you, Admiral Carter, but what about the _Melete_?"

"Depends on how much damage that scuttling charge did, there'll be a structural survey done and it can be decided if the _Melete_ can be fixed or is it's better to decommission and scrap the old girl."

"Sir, permission to speak freely?" Vance asked.

"Of course, what's on your mind?" Carter said.

"The _Melete_ has been a very unhappy ship since we went on that training mission. It might be best to put her out of her misery and let us move on to, hopefully, better assignments."

Carter nodded, "I had a feeling you were going to say that."

**One Hour and Twelve Minutes Later:**

It took another hour or so for the Raptor to be brought onboard. It could have been done sooner, but Carter stated that he had more important things to worry about and put it off for as long as he could.

When the Raptor was lowered into the hangar, there were ten Marines waiting for him. The detail that was going to take Hendrix into custody consisted of the four Marines that had come over with Carter and six more from the _Atlantia_. A large group had gathered now, most of the deck gang were crowded the Marines and Carter to get a glimpse of Hendrix being arrested.

When the door opened, Hendrix tentatively walked out and stepped off the Raptor.

Carter wanted to do nothing more than heap scores of verbal abuse on the man. Yet he managed to find the strength to keep his tongue in check. He stood to the side and decided to let the Marines do their job and take Hendrix into custody.

The Marines came up and were getting ready to apprehend Hendrix, when he made his move. He quickly reached into the crowd and grabbed one of the crewmen. He produced a weapon out of his flight suit and held it to the woman's head. Together they stepped back up onto the Raptor's wing and in past the hatch.

Carter took a sidearm from Corporal Gaines and pointed it at Hendrix. He looked and recognized the hostage as Amber Hudson, the woman who caused Hendrix to be in this situation. Both Mitchell Cain and Lieutenant Michael Sasser pulled their sidearms and had them pointed at Hendrix as well.

"Put the gun down, Admiral, or else I'll blow her head off." Hendrix demanded, pressing the barrel of his pistol harder against Hudson's temple.

"Let her go and we'll talk." Carter said, not lowering his sidearm.

"You are going to put that weapon down, get me a Raptor that works, and get me the frak out of here. You have five seconds and then I blow this girl's head right the frak off!" Hendrix said angrily, before shouting at Carter, "Five!"

Carter couldn't take a shot without hurting Hudson – his mind raced trying to find a way to resolve the situation.

"Four!" Hendrix shouted, keeping the barrel of the gun pressed to the young woman's head.

Carter made eye contact with Hudson. He saw her mouth the words 'Do it.'

"Three!"

Amber Hudson mouthed the words to him again; she knew she would be sacrificing herself, but if it meant taking down the monster known as Luke Hendrix, then so be it.

'Do it!' She mouthed to Carter again, and this time she saw him nod his head slightly.

"Two!"

Those were the last words of Commander Luke Hendrix. The volley of bullets from Carter's sidearm pierced his upper body, ripping through his words. He let go of his hostage and fell hard to the floor of the Raptor. He was unaware of how badly he was hurt because everything around him began to go black.

A stunned silence seeped through the hanger bay, after what had transpired. Carter dropped the sidearm and ran to where Hudson lay on the deck. He immediately grabbed her hand and squeezed it.

"Someone get a medic!" He bellowed, the words seeming to shake everyone out of their haze.

"Is he dead?" She asked, her words unstable and weak.

He looked over as the lifeless body of Hendrix, "Yes he is, I'm sorry…can you forgive me?"

She smiled at him, "It was my decision, you did nothing wrong." She coughed a few times, and a line of blood began to run out of the corner of her mouth. Her grip weakened, and as she closed her eyes, Carter noticed that the normal rise and fall of her chest had ceased.

He stayed there holding her hand until the medics came and took her body away. His mind was in a different place right now. For the most part he was back on _Atlantia_, during the Battle of Ochoa. He was watching Colonel Dana Gilbert, his friend and XO, die there in the CIC – another death that he was powerless to stop.

**Twenty-Eight Years Ago:**

**Scythia, Canceron:**

The picturesque city of Scythia was situated on the western coast of Elara, the large continent in the northeastern hemisphere of Canceron. Located on the Abaris Ocean was a tourist haven, seasonal to the warmer times of the year.

It was in this city that Carl Tolan came to visit, along with two of his grandchildren, sixteen year-old Andrew and his twelve year-old brother, Scott. His two grandsons were given a room of their own at the luxurious Hotel Theia, which was situated right on the Scythia Beach. This particular beach was one of the few in the Colonies that came close to Caprica Beach, in terms of quality.

Carl sat at a table in the corner of the Theia Lounge, finishing off the last of the lunch he was having with his two grandsons. He wiped the sides of his mouth with his napkin and looked at the two boys sitting across from him in their booth. His blue eyes would have normally been cold and void of all emotion. However, in the presences of his family, a wide array of emotions took over his clouded eyes – he felt a great deal of love for them.

"I have some business to take care of tonight; I have to leave the two of you on your own. You going to make sure you and Scotty don't get into trouble? He asked Andrew.

"Scotty and I will hang out at the beach, and I'm sure we can find some action to keep us entertained for hours," The older of the two Tolan brothers said enthusiastically.

Carl put some cubits on the table and got up to go, "You boys use my credit card for whatever you want, and don't do anything that I'd have to explain to your mother."

"Is he talking about the tattoo?" Scott asked Andrew once they were alone.

"Yeah, that would be the one. Mom lit into me when she found out I let you get the Basileus logo tattooed on your shoulder. I was a little worried about what she might've done to me – thank the gods for her self-control."

"She loves us but she has a temper," Scott agreed.

They left the hotel and began walking down Melia Avenue, the road that bordered the beach. The two brothers shared a lot of features. Both had blue eyes and blond hair, the same dignified looking facial features, though Andrew favored their mother more so than Scott. Today they were going to have fun in an oceanfront paradise.

Nighttime came, and the Tolan brothers decided they had done enough for the day and were ready to head back to the hotel. This late at night the beach had pretty much cleared of people and there was scarcely a soul on Melia Avenue. They were about five blocks from the hotel when a car started speeding by. The loud staccato of gunfire was heard, and in that first instant Scott froze with fear.

He felt a strong pair of hands grab him and throw him to the ground. He hit the ground hard and rolled over, before he came to a stop. It over in no time at all, but to Scott it felt like an eternity as he lay there unsure of whether to move or not. He finally got the urge to move his head to look towards the beach and it was then that he saw his brother lying on his back. He moved closer and saw a line of blood running from the right corner of Andrew's mouth. His chest had at least four bullet holes, one of which hit where his heart was. There was no doubt that Andrew Tolan was dead.

Scott cradled his older brother's head in his lap and called out for help, fighting back the sobs that seemed to cause his throat to constrict and threaten to choke him. Finally, a police cruiser came to investigate, and by then Scott had deduced part of what happened. When the bullets began to fly, Andrew had grabbed his younger brother and threw him to the ground, surrendering his own life. Whoever had done the shooting must have thought both had been hit, or was too much of a coward to check – out of fear.

The funeral was three days later. Andrew Tolan was interred in the Tolan family plot at the Sius Memorial Gardens. He was placed between the plot his father, Henry Tolan, was buried in and the one that was reserved for his mother, Sylvia Tolan.

For Scott, the whole affair had a surreal quality. They had been targeted by a faction of the Basileus that wanted to wrest control from his grandfather. That ate at him, but not as much as the shame he felt for freezing and being afraid. Now that they had returned from the cemetery, he sat alone in his room. It was then that he made a silent promise to himself and his brother that never again would such fear and weakness take over him.

There was a knock on the door, and a second later Sylvia Tolan came into the room. She came to the bed and sat down beside Scott. She put her arm around him and pulled him close to her.

"How are you holding up?" She asked him, her eyes were red from crying and the sight of it hit Scott hard.

"It doesn't feel like it's really happening. I just don't know…I just don't know why I lived and Andrew didn't." He felt his voice began to crack with emotion.

"I don't know, baby. I wish I could tell you, but the truth is, I have no idea." She ran her hand through his hair, something she had not done for quite some time.

"Maybe I'll have an answer one day, but I just don't know how I'm supposed to feel." Scott could not remember his father passing away; this was a pain that he had not experienced before.

"I've tried to figure out the answers, and so far I've learned to just be thankful that one of my sons came back. Though I don't know if I'll be so lucky, I know you've been doing odd jobs for your grandfather. You're practically a member of the Basileus."

Scott squeezed his eyes shut, "I don't know if I want to be in it anymore – after what I saw in Scythia."

"Listen, your grandfather and I talked this over…you're going to be leaving for a while."

"What do you mean?" Scott asked.

Sylvia took a long breath and then said, "Your grandfather is paying for you to attend the Abry Military Academy over in Viar. You'll be close enough to us that you can come home during your breaks, but it's a chance for you to become more than just the grandson of a gangster."

Scott sat there and, even thought he knew the answer, he asked, "Is there any way I can talk you out of it?"

"Afraid not, you leave a week from today. I lost one son already; I don't want to lose another. If you need a reason, please do it for me."

That was it. In a week he would be shipped off to one of the most prestigious military academies on Canceron.

**Present Day:**

_**Victorious**_**:**

Scott Tolan awoke with a jolt, sitting straight up in bed. He had not dreamt of the night his brother was killed in quite some time. To his surprise, he was actually sweating. He tried to beat the exhaustion out of his senses, bring them back to an active function. He had dozed off and got some sleep, a few hours more than likely.

Getting showered and dressed, he made his way to the CIC to get an update on how repairs were going on the _Vic_ and the _Sphinx_.

The glass doors to the CIC opened, and he made his way to the Command and Control Station, where Andre Graystone was conferring with Major Anton Pontiere.

"Well Andre, how are the repairs progressing?" Tolan asked. He observed the time and figured it'd been about five hours since he left the Flag CIC.

"We have all the major hull breaches patched, and we should be able to jump within a matter of a couple of hours." Andre said.

"All that work in just a few hours, I'm impressed."

Andre looked confused, "Scott, you just woke up…are you aware of how long you were asleep?"

Tolan was not sure where his brother-in-law was going, "Just a few hours, nothing too long."

"You've been asleep for two days," Andre told him. There had been developments that he wanted to tell Scott about, but Admiral Kronus had ordered him to disconnect the lines leading to Tolan's quarters. If anyone asked, the communication lines to the Commanding Officer's Quarters had been severed during the battle.

Tolan looked confused, "What do you mean I've been asleep for two days?"

"According to what Doctor Salik has told me, you were suffering from extreme fatigue, and it was best that I not disturb you," Andre said, sticking to the story he had been forming in his mind.

"So the good doctor decided that I was too tired to fulfill my duties. I would argue that point with him, but he'd have declared me unfit for duty. I suppose I was in a no-win situation," Tolan said.

"Not as much as the _Sphinx_, Sir." Andre muttered.

Tolan heard it and asked, "Excuse me, what was that about the _Sphinx_?"

Andre kicked himself mentally, but said, "There was an accident on the _Sphinx_ not long after you retired for the night. It seemed that once the hull breaches had been patched up on the starboard side and the salvage party was aboard, the power was switched back on. It appeared that tylium fuel vapors had built up once the hull was sealed, and there came a spark from exposed wiring, causing the vapors to ignite."

"So the starboard side was further damaged?"

"The salvage crew had opened access points to the starboard side in preparation of the power being turned back on. The explosion carried over to the port side and wrecked the _Sphinx_ even more. Most of the salvage crew didn't make it out alive; fortunately Commander Omega was one of the survivors."

That piece of news gave the near-loss of the _Sphinx_ a small silver lining. He had known Omega for quite some time, and had felt there was no better Tactical Officer in the Fleet. He had the potential to become a damn good Commanding Officer.

"Scott, are you alright?" Andre asked, concern flooding his face.

Tolan nodded his head, "I'll be fine, it's just the news of the _Sphinx_ is starting to sink in." He paused for a moment and then said, "Send word to Kronus that we're leaving for Point Luck at our earliest convenience. Also, I want an update on the Eastern Alliance forces. When we make it to Point Luck, I want them to receive any assistance they require."

With all the emotions he was feeling, there was still work to be done. Cosmora was just one large battle in a series of large battles. The Cylons were still out there and they would still come for them. There would be more ships lost, more people killed, and more fighting – it was just a matter of time. He would mourn those lost in this battle, but there was still more work to be done. They had a responsibility to the civilians they protected; it was their duty to stand, the constant watchmen, in order to keep the Cylons from finishing the destruction that they had unleashed seven months earlier. One day he would make peace with all the fighting and killing that had taken place on his watch, but now was neither the time nor the place for such things.

**Three Days Later:**

_**Olympica**_**:**

"Dr. Janette Luna," she introduced herself, "I believe you are here to discuss business?" The woman said to him as she walked to the table he sat at in the _Olympica's_ First Class Lounge.

"That would depend, what makes you think I'm the person you're supposed to talk to?" He said to her while looking her over with an appraising glance.

"I was told by a mutual friend that a lieutenant by the name of 'Clint Jarvis' was to be sitting at table 35 in the First Class Lounge of the _Olympica_ at this time. Considering the nature of the business I am to discuss, either you are Lt. Jarvis or you're not." She said with an impatient tone to her voice.

"You've come to the right place; sit down and we'll talk." He gestured to the seat across the table and she sat down.

"I don't know how long I have. The Admiralty has restricted travel to and from the _Ketill_." Luna said, referring to the Colonial Heavy Transport ship that had been the base of operations for Dr. Daimon Ravashol.

"Time is a luxury I don't have either. The decision was made to scrap my ship in order to rebuild a Battlestar that was wrecked in battle." Jarvis had learned that the _Melete_ was to be dismantled and used to rebuild the _Sphinx_, a decision that irked him to no end. "It would appear that we have both been wronged by The Admiralty. My commanding officer was murdered by Admiral Carter, and Dr. Ravashol was wrongfully imprisoned by Admiral Tolan."

"Lieutenant, let's not get overly dramatic here. We both have grievances that have little chance of being rectified."

"Very well then, not all personnel in the Colonial Fleet are behind the actions of men like Carter and Tolan. In fact I am here on behalf a group that would like to do something about the current situation."

Luna leaned forward her brown eyes boring into Jarvis' hazel eyes, "Alright, you have my attention. What do you need us on the _Ketill _for?"

Jarvis wondered about the woman sitting across the table from him. She looked like she could be in her mid-forties, with brown hair that barely touched her shoulders. He had received his orders from the leader of the Praetorium, and he intended to follow them. He had lost his commanding officer and then had his command taken from him. In his mind it was all the fault of Admiral Tyrone Carter, and he intended for the man to pay for what he had done.

"Do your people have anything on the _Ketill_ that could be used as a biological weapon?"

She leaned in close and said, "There could be…"


	18. Chapter 18: Silent Armor

**Chapter 18: Silent Armor**

**Eleven Years Ago, Clio, Canceron:**

In the rural countryside of Canceron – where the rays of the afternoon sun breaks free through the clouds over a wooded countryside – a black, convertible sports car made its way down the tree-canopied dirt road.

"This is where you grew up…it seems so peaceful out here?" Emily Graystone asked, looking out the window at the Canceron countryside.

"Yeah, it's as far away from Caprica City as you can get." Major Scott Tolan commented, not taking his eyes off the road, but letting his hand slip from the wheel and into her hand.

She looked at their joint hands and smiled, "I know your mom is going to be home. Will there be anyone else to welcome us?"

Scott thought for a moment before saying, "I believe my cousin, Lacey, might be there. We won't find out until we arrive."

"She's the one your mom took in and is raising. Did her parents die because of…you know…?" She fumbled for the words, trying to politely ask her question.

Scott picked up on it and responded, squeezing her hand as he talked, "They were killed in a car crash on Colonial Day, not because of the family business." He knew his voice sounded sterner than it should have been.

She decided now was the time to change the subject, "My family had a lot of things to say about you after meeting you."

Scott smirked, "Just what did your parents' background check on me turn up, anything damning?"

She sighed, "They were curious about the three movie actresses you dated."

"One lesson I learned from that was to never, I repeat _never_ date a movie actress."

She shot him a quizzical look, "Yet you dated three of them?"

"I know. It was like eating hot chocolate chip cookies. Once I started, I couldn't stop."

"Almost five months we've been dating, I don't think I've ever seen you serious. Not once. Can you drop the playful rogue act for even a minute?" she asked slightly exasperated.

Scott was silent for a moment before he spoke again. "You know how we were talking about my cousin, Lacey?"

'At least it's a start,' Emily thought to herself before saying, "Is there something more to her?"

"Right now she's eight years old. I'm afraid the older she gets, the less thrilled I'll become about cheerleaders at pyramid games."

She reached over and gave him a playful punch on the arm, "Scott Tolan, you are impossible!"

Emily was feeling a strong sense of frustration with the man. She had opened up to him, and yet she felt there was something beneath the surface of this charming Colonial Fleet officer that had yet to bubble up. The charm of this man had kept her from pushing him, but the fuse of her patience burning out.

Scott said, "Listen Em, there are things I've kept locked inside. When I feel the time is right, I'll give you all you need to solve the great riddle of Scott Tolan." The look on her face must have betrayed her thoughts, but she was grateful for the reassurance – it being the water her fiery temper needed, prolonging her patience.

"Remember, us Graystones invented the Cylons? Compared to my family, being in the Tolan crime family isn't so bad." She saw his face tighten and began to worry that maybe she had gone too far and made light of whatever he had experienced as a result of being born into the Tolan family.

The rest of the trip neither of them spoke; it was as though a heavy silence had descended onto their conversation. He had removed his hand from hers to turn on the windshield wipers. Her hand remained vacant for several minutes, so she folded her arms across her chest, thinking very quietly. The silence remained until they turned down a gravel driveway and came up to Scott's childhood home.

For some reason Emily could never fathom someone painting the brick white. Why have brick and then paint it? This someone had decided it would make a nice addition to Scott's childhood home. The trim was a contrasting black, stark and plain. The steep roof had small windows with a massive central chimney protruding with three vents indicating multiple fireplaces, a real anachronism or a really old house. A large front porch extends along the length of the front of the house, which seemed to be completely enclosed by a hard exterior armor – like a certain man.

Scott got out of the car first, and walked over to open the door for her. Checking her appearance in the rearview mirror, she secured the wind-tousled hair that driving with the roof down caused. Her long red hair was a tangle of curls and strands that never stayed in place. In casual jeans and a simple black tank top, she stepped out of the car, her sandals showing off her painted toenails, matching her fingernails for a change. The heels on the sandals made the cobblestone walkway treacherous as she tottered up to the porch stairs, catching her heel several times. Thankfully, Scott was there to make sure she did not lose her balance and fall over. Emily thought for a moment that falling over could possibly break the tension, but dismissed the idea seeing the frown on his face.

Instead she turned her attention to admire the well-tended rose bushes that lined the area in front of the porch; she wondered what it would be like to have grown up here, to live in the country, away from the world. Sniffing at a flower on the nearest bush, she followed Scott up the stairs to the front door. Her mind wondered, following the winds of the trees and wilderness that surrounded her. She slipped from one game of hide and seek to staring at the sky and trying to figure out what the clouds are shaped like.

Being pulled from her vision of innocence, she stepped over the thresh hold. The whole entrance was a study in modest gentility, while there was just enough showing the imperfection of a loved home.

He pulled a key out of the front pocket of his jeans, and after using it, gently pushed the front door open.

"Mom, I'm home!" he called out.

Emily could not help but wonder if there was anyone home. The only light that seemed to be on was from a room off in the distance, and it appeared that all the shades on the first floor had been pulled. Even though it was afternoon and the sun shone brilliantly, it might as well have been the dead of night inside the Tolan house.

"Mom?" Scott shouted – still no answer. She could hear the elevation of stress in his voice, but that was the only clue to his anxiety.

The two made their way down the hallway, through the living room, and then down a short hallway to the left, into a seeming private study.

Emily had followed behind him, and was surprised when he suddenly bolted into the room. She ran in and saw him standing over the unconscious form of his mother. He had two fingers on her neck checking for a pulse. She lay on a couch with a picture frame resting on her chest.

Emily noticed the coffee table in front of the couch had a large bottle of booze, and a nearly empty glass filled with the same amber-colored liquor the bottle contained.

Scott slipped the picture frame out of her grasp and laid it on the coffee table next to the bottle. He then turned to Emily.

"She's fine, just unconscious. Wait outside and I'll come join you once I get her taken care of."

A protest began to form in her throat, but Scott shouted, "Just go!"

The protest left her as she backed away and ran out to the front porch. Emily was not quite sure how she felt at that moment. This was a side of Scott she had never seen. The front porch swing beckoned her as she walked forward and sat. It began to gently rock her back and forth. He was forceful, even a little rude – what happened to that charm he always brags about? Maybe his life here was not at all pleasant, perhaps worst than she had original thought.

Despite her musing, her burning curiosity managed to get the better of her as she quietly opened the front door and made her way back to the den where Scott's mother had been found. She could hear his voice upstairs, either on the second or third floor of the house. At least they were there and not down here on the ground floor.

Walking to the coffee table, she let her fingers take hold of the picture frame Sylvia Tolan must have been looking at before she lost consciousness. It looked like a professional photo, done in some sort of portrait studio. Emily saw a happy family, with two very young boys. Recognizing Scott became easy after looking at the picture long enough; he seemed to be about two years old. His blue eyes were bright with happiness and his smile seemed to suggest that he was cute and knew it. That same cocky attitude had followed him, but not in a bad way.

Looking up at the mantle above the fireplace Emily saw the pictures of Scott's father. She took her attention back to the man in the picture on the coffee table. He looked pale and seemed to have shrunk in size from the man he had been in the picture on the mantle. His hair also did not seem to be quite right, as though he was wearing a hairpiece of some sort.

Emily remembered reading the background report on Scott; his father had died of cancer back when he was two-years old. Looking at the picture caused a growing feeling of sadness to sink in. This was probably the last family picture of the Tolan's ever took, and would explain why Sylvia held it in such high regard. The thought began to weigh heavily on her mind – half of the people in the picture had passed away. One to cancer and the other to gang violence; how cruel life is. Taking so many, just because fate can. She was surprised that Scott had not turned completely evil. So many other men have fallen victim to fate and then turned vengeful. It claims countless numbers out of spite.

Emily walked out after about ten minutes of looking at the various pictures and mementos in the house. There was a silent wish inside her that looking at these various items would give her greater insight into the man she had fallen for.

Once again the porch swing summoned her, and another twenty minutes or so passed until Scott walked out of the house.

Gradually Scott made his way to her, closing the door behind him. Emily locked eyes with him and she swore she could feel the intense storm of emotion in his piercing blue eyes. She now stood next to him and could see his hands gripping the rail tightly, his eyes staring off into a faraway place. She could see the conflict on his face and so she moved her fingers over his white knuckles.

"Here are some things about me I never told you: I was engaged once to a girl from Canceron. Her name was Alyssa Wenutu…the first woman I believe I ever loved. Our careers pulled us in different directions, and in the end we went our separate ways." He could see her eyes grasping the meaning of his statement and he knew that if she tried to dissuade him that he would have no choice but to listen.

"Scott…," Emily said softly, but he kept talking knowing that he must. He slide his hand out from under hers, trying to concentrate and get his message through.

"My older brother died protecting me from a drive-by shooting, and to this day I wonder why I was spared and he wasn't. My father died of cancer when I was only two. My mom would tell me stories about him, and that's all I have to go by because I don't remember anything about him. My fear is that I've grown up with an idealized version of my father in my head, and I'll never know the real man who helped bring me into this world."

Scott's gaze was still focused out towards the open fields that lay to the right of the house. "One day in the aftermath of my brother's death, I ventured downstairs when Mom thought I was asleep. I snuck down the stairs and could see that Mom was sitting in the den talking to my grandfather. I heard her tell him something that has stayed with me ever since."

Emily asked quietly, "What did she say?"

Scott let out a deep breath before repeating what he had heard, "Nothing will give me any peace. I've lost my husband and a son. I'll go to my grave without any peace over that."

She was going to say something, but he shook his head and spoke again. "I have a natural skill with flying a viper, I'm a decent shot with most firearms, and I can hold my own in a fight...despite all that I still haven't found any defense against Mom crying onto my shirt."

Emily looked at his green shirt, and realized that the wet spots she thought had come from the heat were actually a result of Sylvia Tolan crying. She had desired a more complete image of the man standing beside her, but now that she had it, a feeling of guilt washed over her. She began to realize that the public persona Scott projected helped to cover the pain he still carried. A pain that ran deeper than she could see and one she wished she could take away, even just a small part of it, to ease his burden, to help free him from his sorrow.

Not knowing what to do, she did the only thing she could think of. Her hand moved to his again and gave it a reassuring squeeze. She felt a sense of relief when he looked at her and gave her a smile, not pulling away this time. Though this was not his normal playful smile, this one contained nothing but affection for her; it was as though he was wordlessly telling her, 'Thank you.'

"Scott, what happened with your mom?" Her nerve returned and she hoped she would not regret asking the question.

"She went into town for a luncheon held by the VCW," he said as his eyes stayed fixed on the horizon.

"What's the VCW?"

"Veterans of Colonial Wars. My mom stayed in touch with some of my dad's shipmates from the Cylon War."

"I see… how does that explain what we saw in there?"

"She was talking with one of Dad's shipmates from the _Columbia_, and the conversation turned to things that had happened after the war. That's about all I got from her when she came to in there."

"It must have really upset her."

Scott nodded, "She let Lacey go over to a friend's house to stay the night. Once alone, Mom pulled out the bottle of booze and drank herself unconscious while talking to my dad and Andrew."

"I… I don't know what I can do for you. You're hurting. Gods, I wish I could take that away."

She voiced her earlier inclination.

He turned to face her, "Just being here with me now is plenty." His hand reached up and stroked her cheek, "That is more than enough."

She put her arms around his neck and leaned forward until her nose was almost touching his, and then she whispered, "Thank you, Scott, for trusting me with this."

As his lips pushed against hers, she left her eyes open for only a second to catch a glimpse of the smile in his eyes. An image that would keep her from death itself.

**Present Day, **_**Solace**_**:**

Emily Tolan's eyes fluttered opened, and her mental fog slowly began to clear. The pain medicine going through her body made it more difficult to come to than it normally would have. Her mind tried, but could not remember how many months it had been since the riots on the space liner _Olympica_ had occurred. She tried to remember, but it seemed her mind was either unwilling or unable to give her that particular memory.

"Drink this," a faintly familiar voice said, holding a straw to her mouth. Emily raised her head slightly, then after taking a few sips her head lulled back onto the pillow.

Her eyes blinked again, trying to force herself to focus. "Scott?"

"Glad to see you haven't forgotten me," Scott Tolan said. Despite her current state, she looked like an angel to his eyes. Awake and full of life, completely beautiful.

"Not a chance." Emily smiled at him and realized there was a small gash on his forehead that had been stitched up. "What happened to your head?"

"Occupational hazard," he stated simply, smiling nonchalantly.

"I was remembering that first time you took me to Canceron…Hard to forget the Scott I saw that day." Her mental fog was not enough to block out the image she was recalling. His closed eyes, the way his lips turned up in the corners as their lips met – how he tasted, gods.

"Not something I try to show too often; you're in rare company."

"Scott, I don't know how long I have you here. How long till duty calls?"

"I'll take every second with you I can," he said as he leaned over and gently kissed her.

"That was a side of you I had never seen before," she persisted.

He smiled at her, "After ten years of marriage you've seen my good side, bad side, and the side that is just a bit to the left of sane."

"Were you scared?" she asked, seemingly out of nowhere.

"Scared when?" Scott asked.

"The battle you were in; Andie told me about Cosmora."

"Listen…" Scott began, "all battles are fought by scared people who'd rather be someplace else."

"Does that include admirals?" She started up at him with eyes that captured him.

He thought for a second before replying, "Yes."

There was a pause before Emily said, "I love you, Scott."

He took her hand in his and pulled it to his mouth, kissing it softly, "I love you too, Em; more than you'll ever know."

The pain medication took hold of her mind and forced unconsciousness upon her. Scott placed her grasping hand at her side and stood, forcing his stoic mask back into place.

**Ostarsis Resistance Command Center:**

"Well now, what have we stumbled upon?" Ensign Angela Rigel asked. The short raven-haired former Communications Officer of the Battlestar _Kios_ was awed at what she was staring at.

"Find out," Commander Bridget Woods ordered, with a determination that had served her well in command situations.

Woods turned quickly, her long brown hair making a swishing motion as she headed back up the long corridor. In their complex system of caves, the central alleyway had been blocked by a large rock pile. They had finally managed to move the rocks out of the way; and a short distance down the dirt floor had turned into concrete.

**Twenty-Five Minutes Later, Ostarsis Resistance Command Center: **

Sharon Bonilla had begun the search as soon as her laptop booted up. The hotel above their cave complex still had power; and it provided a place to recharge the few electronic items they had left.

"Commander Woods!" she shouted. Even though she was not military, she felt the need to use Bridget Woods' rank whenever addressing her.

"What is it?" Bridget asked. She was followed into the room by Angela Rigel, Lt. Lamont Evans, and Neveah Ratliff.

"If what I'm reading here is correct, you may have stumbled upon the Kria Bunker!" Bonilla exclaimed, her eyes still fixed on the computer screen in front of her.

"You have my attention…care to fill me in on what the Kria Bunker is?" Bridget asked.

"About twenty-five years ago, when President Erickson was in office…" Bonilla began, referring to the two terms served by Aileen Erickson. "She awarded a government contract to an architect by the name of Rodger Kria. This contract was for him to design an emergency government shelter in case of a Cylon attack."

"How is it that none of us have heard about this?" Evans asked with a puzzled look evident on his face.

"Reading through these documents it seems the project was classified and given the dummy name of Operation Cervantes. Going by the information I've gleaned so far, the Kria Bunker was built here on Ostarsis; and we just discovered its existence."

"Very well then, what can you tell me about it?" Woods asked.

Bonilla brought up a list of information that she had compiled and began to go into detail. "The bunker was built into the side of the mountain where we found the cave system, and has a hidden set of blast doors for access from the surface. The underground seven-story bunker has practically everything required for an extended stay. The entire complex is equipped with airlocks for an independent atmosphere, fully redundant air handling/cooling systems, airtight rooms, electromagnetic pulse shielding to military standards, thick reinforced concrete subterranean construction, the ability to survive a 20-megaton nuclear blast at 5 kilometers, 100,000 liters freshwater reserve tank, Nuclear/Biological/Chemical (NBC) air filtration, and that's just the tip of the iceberg," Bonilla said after reading a partial list of the features of the Kria Bunker.

"If this is what we found, then we can abandon these caves and have a safer place to hide out until the rescue," Woods said, taking in the information about the bunker and mentally going over the logistics.

"What should we do now, Commander?" Rigel asked.

"I'm going to send a small group to explore the bunker more thoroughly. The last thing we need is to fall into a trap."

**Thirty-One Minutes Later, Kria Bunker (Level One):**

The original search party had returned from the bunker, giving the all clear. Now it was time to send a larger group to explore the bunker more thoroughly.

Bridget Woods and Neveah Ratliff found themselves on the first floor of the seven floor underground complex. The lights from their flashlights played along a well-maintained area that seemed to be some sort of living area.

"They thought of everything when they built this place!" Neveah exclaimed.

"They wanted to make sure they could live down here comfortably and it shows," Bridget said.

She spotted a set of black leather sofas and took a seat on one of them. "Have a seat, Nev. I'm going to rest for a minute."

Neveah did the same, taking a seat on the sofa opposite the one where Bridget sat.

"I know I'm being forward here, Commander, but how close are you with Admiral Tolan?"

Bridget was quiet for a moment before she responded. "He's been a friend, a mentor…Why?" she shrugged. In fact, ever since Bridget graduated from the Fleet Academy, they'd been close.

"It's got to be nice to have someone like that be a constant in your life."

"It's been nice, but there have been a lot of twists and turns along the way," Bridget said before deciding to open up more to the twenty-nine year old, former movie starlet. "It began with this night at Club Tavares not long before I was supposed to be married…"

Neveah listened intently and, when Bridget was done, asked, "If you knew you were going to get married then why did you go home with him?"

Bridget sighed and thought about it, "I suppose I wanted to be reckless for once in my life. Monique, my best friend at the time, was there encouraging me up until I left the club with Scott. It was just supposed to be a one-time thing, and Monique assured me that none of the girls in our group that night would tell on me."

Neveah nodded her head then asked, "How come the two of you never dated afterwards?"

Bridget smiled ruefully, "Rules…Scott Tolan is a higher-ranking officer; and my being a subordinate in the chain of command meant he could not have a romantic relationship with me."

"I just can't help but think that you should not to let a rule ruin your life."

"Don't worry; I managed to deal with my feelings for him. Besides, Scott is off the market for good now."

"He got married?"

Bridget turned to nod her head, "He's been married for a decade or so. He met a young woman by the name of Emily Graystone; and she managed to win his heart."

Neveah noticed the look on Bridget's face at the mention of that. "Last question on the subject, how much do you care about him?"

Bridget locked eyes with her, "More than I'm either supposed to or allowed to."

Neveah decided to try to change the subject, "What made you want to join the Fleet?"

"My parents pushed me in that direction somewhat. You're from a family that is well-known in the movie industry. My family was known in the political world."

"You'll have to forgive me; I never really followed politics."

Bridget smiled, "I won't hold it against you. My dad was Carlton Woods, the Virgon representative on the Quorum of Twelve. My mom was Jeanine Woods, the representative of Sardis in the People's Assembly. I grew up in Virgon politics since both of my parents had careers in that area. They had me educated on Caprica since that is where they spent most of their time."

"Alright, so how did that end up with you as a military officer?"

"A daughter proudly serving to protect the Twelve Colonies, I made a damn good piece of propaganda for them to use in their campaigns." Bridget smiled remorsefully at that bit of information.

The hand-held radio by her arm crackled with static, "Commander Woods, can you hear me?"

"This is Woods; what's going on?" she said in her business-like command voice.

"Mirza and I have finished our investigation of the bottom level," said Ensign Robyn Fulton, formerly of the cruiser _Amulius_ and one of the few women rescued from the Cylon prisons in recent months. With her was Nazih Mirza, an engineer and electrician from the battlestar _Dirae_.

"Very well then, I'll get a SITREP from the other pairs and we'll meet here on Level One in approximately an hour. Till then, see if there are any generators that can be started. The air is a bit stuffy in here."

"Do you want to go back to the large creepy conference room we passed earlier?" Neveah asked. "It can easily hold the other twelve people with us here."

"Let's head back that way," Bridget said.

The two women got up from the sofa and headed down the hallway they had gone down earlier. One of the doors opened into a large conference room with a wooden oval-shaped table that could easily accommodate a large number of people.

The fourteen people had split up into teams of two. Bridget Woods and Neveah Ratliff had explored Level One, Lamont Evans and Angela Rigel explored Level Two, Darius James and Emil Velghe had Level Three, twin brothers Joseph and Jayson Sharpe had Level Four, Dr. Albert Tonkinson and Julia Nelson had Level Five, Walter Albrecht and Carlo Roma had Level Six, and Fulton and Mirza had Level Seven.

Sharon Bonilla had been considered a possibility for the mission, but it was decided that she should wait to hear from Major Shane Cornell and Colonel Jesse Quinn. They were the other two leaders of the Resistance; and they had gone on one last rescue mission in order to get as many people to safety as they could before the rescue attempt.

_**Olympica, **_**Italus Lounge (E-Deck):**

The lounge had been set aside for what was said to be a private meeting. In a way it was, as this was the most recent gathering of the group known simply as 'The Praetorium'. The small group of Colonial Fleet officers that were taking part in this clandestine meeting was here for the purpose of discussing their next course of action following the death of Commander Luke Hendrix.

"This meeting of The Praetorium is now in session," Jupiter announced from his spot at the head of the conference table in the room. He was the highest ranking officer and head of the group. As a rule, the members used code names for one another in order to safeguard their identities from any prying ears.

"We are at a crossroads now in our journey, and I fear we have a difficult choice to make," Saturn said as he locked eyes with all in the room.

"I agree with him. Due to the actions of Tolan and Carter, we must act to save the fleet and ourselves from these men," added Neria with a grim determination in her voice that left no doubt how she felt.

Orcus, otherwise known as Lt. Clint Jarvis, followed that statement with one of his own. "I was there when Carter gunned down Commander Hendrix in cold blood. He did not even give the man a chance to turn himself in and defend himself before a tribunal. I doubt you could even call it an execution; it was simply murder."

At this statement there were loud murmurs heard throughout the room as the seven members of The Praetorium leadership talked amongst themselves.

**Battlestar _Colossus:_**

The Admiralty gathered around the large display table in the War Room of the _Colossus_. The ship's commanding officer, Commander Dorian Mercer, and the various support staff stationed in the War Room were also present for the meeting.

Admiral John Kronus stood up from his chair and addressed the group. "We have begun planning the next phase of operations, namely the rescue of the prisoners held on Ostarsis. As of now, the plan has been codenamed 'Operation _Downfall_', and will be divided into two separate operations." He pressed a button and a map of the moon appeared on a digital screen behind him.

"The first phase is named 'Operation _Olympic_', and will focus on the planetary bombardment from our gunnery task forces. With the intel sent to us by Commander Woods, we can isolate the facilities where the prisoners are kept and weaken the Cylon defenses."

He pressed another button, and a new image appeared on the screen. "The second phase is named 'Operation _Coronet_', and will involve the actual invasion of Ostarsis. The plan is for all available battlestars to jump in, along with the troop transports, once the Cylon defenses have been neutralized. The two groups will be Admiral Carter's Battlestar Group 67 and reconstituted Battlestar Group 66 comprised of the _Helios_, _Indra_, and _Colossus_. All vipers and raptors will be launched for the purpose of defending the transports and escorting them down to the moon's surface as well. From there the combined Army/Marine forces will take out the Cylons on the ground with a coordinated assault with the Underground Resistance already in place."

Kronus opened the floor to questions and the first one came from Admiral Naomi Sakura. "What shall we do with our damaged battlestars? The _Sphinx_ is a wreck, the _Victorious_ took heavy damage at Cosmora, and the _Achilles_ is in need of an extensive overhaul. What purpose will these battlestars have in the operation, and which Battlestar will serve as flagship for BSG 66?"

"Well…" Kronus responded, "The _Victorious_, _Achilles_, and _Maytoria_ will serve as our backup force under the command of Admiral Jonasson. If we need them to, they will be prepared to jump at a moment's notice to Ostarsis to assist us. Until then they will be tasked, along with the cruiser _Neleus_, with defending the civilians in case the Cylons show up. As for the flagship question, I have already spoken with Admiral Tolan and he will be using _Colossus_ as his flagship for the operation."

The next question came from Admiral Albert Morton, "What role will the Eastern Alliance have in this operation?"

"I have spoken with Magnus Ah-Mun already," Admiral Tyrone Carter said. "At present his people are at work settling in on the captured Cylon baseship. If all else fails, we will simply transfer the task of defending the civilians to them."

The next question came from Sakura, "Has there been a tentative date set for the operation to begin?"

Kronus shook his head, "For security purposes the exact dates will be kept secret. For now they will simply to be referred to as 'X-Day' and 'Y-Day'."

What would be the last question of the meeting came from Jonasson, "Have the Army and Marines come up with a chain of command for this? It's hard to imagine those two forces getting along for even an hour."

"I wouldn't worry about that; I've taken to steps to get General Hyde and General Maxwell talking," Kronus said with a sly grin on his face.

"With all due respect, Sir, what have you done?" Sakura asked.

"Right now our two generals are locked in the Officers' Wardroom here on _Colossus_, and will not be allowed to leave that room until they can resolve their differences and come up with a strategy for integrating their forces."

"Did you give them a time limit?" Morton asked.

Kronus nodded his head, "They've got 72 hours, and not a second more."

"Have they made any progress?" Carter asked. Without saying a word, Kronus pressed a button and after an initial burst of static the voices of Army general Alice Hyde and Marine general Otus Maxwell could be heard arguing over the combining of their forces. After a minute Kronus pressed another button and the speaker went silent, "Believe it or not that is progress. When I first put them in there they wouldn't even speak to one another."

**Eastern Alliance Baseship, Magnus Ah-Mun's Quarters: **

With the return from Cosmora, Magnus had kept his men busy at work on their newly won prize. Knowing it deserved a name, he chose "_Revenge_" for the former Cylon Baseship. The large vessel would easily house everyone from the Eastern Alliance, with plenty of room to spare. He had recently made the decision to strip all of his vessels of weapons and other items that would be needed onboard the _Revenge_. The former ships of the Eastern Alliance would then be turned over to the Colonial Fleet for whatever uses they deemed necessary. He had even bid farewell to his flagship, the old Battlecruiser _Balius_.With what he had now, he simply had no need for the vessel.

There was a knock on the door to his quarters; he looked up from his large antique desk and called for whoever it was to enter. He reached into the top drawer and rested his left hand on a small pistol he kept there as a precautionary measure. In walked the woman that had been taken into custody once the Baseship had been secured. She had given her name as Sasha Evans, and that she had been working for Hector Alonzo…against her will of course. "What can I do for you, Miss Evans?" Ah-Mun asked, with his distinctly proper Caprican accent.

"I was wondering if any decision had been reached about my… future," she asked as she strode across the room that had once been the private suite of Hector Alonzo.

"The Admiralty is very interested in having you promptly turned over to them. If I may say, they seem rather eager to have you in their company."

"Let's talk about that…," she began before sitting on the desk right in front of him. "They will kill me; I'm certain of it."

"From what they told me, you betrayed them to a militant peace group, betrayed them by joining up with the Cylons, and maybe even betrayed a man I was told you were having an affair with."

She leaned in close, "I only want to be involved with a winning team. I look for the best situation and I go for it. If the admirals believe they had the upper hand, then they are fools. You have a baseship under your command, you have power. I can be an asset to you, in some ways an asset to only you. Just give me asylum and I will show you just how grateful I can be." She leaned in closer, "Wouldn't the Pirate King like that?"

He pulled her to him and kissed her on the lips, "The Pirate King would indeed like that." He pulled away and looked at her, "Is this how you moved up the ranks before the attacks?"

She gave him a sly smile, "I didn't get where I did by shaking hands."

**Forty-Five Minutes Later: **

When they were done, Magnus had dressed and was preparing to leave the room when Sasha came up and wrapped her arms around him. "I assume we've made ourselves a deal?" He looked at her and smiled, "No." She was dumbstruck at first, but then with an incredulous voice asked, "What do you mean 'no'?"

"You made your case and did a fair amount of persuading, but I want to talk this over with the Admiralty first." He smiled at her and left the room, closing the door on a woman who was angry at him, but in no position to do anything about it.

_**Olympica, **_**Governor David Rush's Suite:**

"I am not amused, Mr. Rush!" Aurelia Gilliam said, with a voice that did nothing to hide her displeasure.

"I'm beginning to think that's a common occurrence for you," David Rush, governor of the civilian fleet, said.

"I am a member of the Quorum, Mr. Rush; I expect you to treat me with the respect due to a person of my stature."

"You are the representative of the Sagittarons, but I was elected to be the head of the civilian government," Rush calmly said to her, doing all he could to hide his annoyance.

Gilliam glared at him, "You were 'selected' by the military to serve as their patsy."

"I know you belong to the Federalist Party, while I'm a Nationalist and quite proud of it. Is this disagreement here simply because of our party affiliations?"

"You know quite well what the problem is." She said. Taking a moment to let that sink in, and then she began again, "General Alice Hyde should be nowhere near the military forces. She should be in chains awaiting a trial; my people demand justice for Iambe!"

"I understand your concerns." He said to her, knowing she referred to the Iambe Massacre on Sagittaron, where General Hyde used her Army forces to violently put down a protest on the orders of President Richard Adar.

"Don't you dare patronize me, we want justice for what our people suffered at her hands!"

"Right now she is one of two Army generals I have at my disposal, and she happens to be the higher-ranking one. Like it or not, the Cylons wiped out every general the Army had except for her and her second-in-command. Right now we need her – the Cylons have left me with no other option and it's as simple as that."

"That's it then? You're just going to condone her actions?"

"I never said that. I can't change anything from the past, but seven months ago the world as we knew it was turned on its head."

Gilliam turned to leave, "You may want to reconsider what should be done with General Hyde. The Quorum can work with you or against you. Think about it." She left the room before Rush could say anything in reply.

_**Victorious, **_**Commanding Officer's Quarters:**

Commander Andre Graystone sat at his desk going over paperwork, detailing the repairs that would have to be made to the _Vic_ in the near future. His green eyes had a tiredness to them that had not been there before the Battle of Cosmora. His red hair was also slightly disheveled, giving the impression he had not slept in a while.

He looked at the clock mounted on the wall and realized he had a minute or so before the two officers he had sent for would arrive. A minute later the doors to his quarters opened and in walked Majors Celina Cruz and Anton Pontiere. They came to attention and saluted him. He returned the salute and told them to sit down. Each took a chair sitting in front of the desk.

"Majors, I have news that will have an effect on both of you. As you know, there are Executive Officer slots open on the _Athena_ and here on the _Victorious_. The decision has been made that the two of you are to be promoted to the rank of Colonel effective immediately. As a result, one of you will take over as XO of _Victorious_ and the other will fill the vacancy on the _Athena_."

"Thank you, Sir, but who gets which assignment?" Pontiere asked.

Graystone looked at Pontiere, "With all due respect to your outstanding service here on the _Vic_, I've decided to assign you to the _Athena_. You will have two hours to get your belongings together and be on the next raptor out."

Pontiere stood, shook Andre's hand, and thanked him for the opportunity before leaving the room.

When he was gone Cruz spoke, "I have a lot to say, but I can't quite find the words."

"We went through hell on _Atlantia_; I want an XO that I know I can work with. There's nobody I'd rather have as my right-hand than you."

She smiled at him, "You know you can count on me, Commander. I won't let you down."

"I have another appointment, so we will talk more once you have your belongings brought over from _Atlantia_."

Shortly after Cruz left, Andre's next appointment came in. Lt. Jamie Hamilton was promptly asked to take a seat. "You wanted to see me, Commander?" she asked.

"Yes I did. I have a couple of matters to discuss with you. One I think you will find pleasant, the other not as much."

"Well, Sir, with all due respect I'd rather have the bad news first," Hamilton said.

Andre nodded, "Very well. There's no way to separate these two issues. Your petition for adoption of the Project Theta babies has been approved. However, the two boys from the project were already adopted by a couple on the _Ventura_. With that said, you are awarded custody of the two girls. I am putting you on maternity leave immediately, you will be allowed six to eight weeks as per Colonial Fleet regulations."

Hamilton smiled, "Thank you, Commander…I appreciate that."

"I'd hate to lose a pilot, but the two girls are clones of you," Andre chuckled. "Considering Ravashol took your DNA from you without your permission for these tests…well it just surprises me that you would want these children."

"I understand, but the fact is that those babies are a part of me. They have my entire DNA, they're mine and it's as simple as that."

Jamie Hamilton left the CO's quarters and made her way to the pilot quarters to gather her belongings. Sitting at the table in the middle of the room was Captain Larsen "Magic" Banks, the _Vic's_ current CAG and her boyfriend.

"I have some news for you," she said as she sat down at the table beside him.

"I do as well," Banks said.

"Really? In that case, you go first."

"You are now looking at the new Tactical Officer for the _Victorious_, not to mention I also became a newly minted Major. I found out from Commander Graystone earlier today. Until Captain Pittman recovers from that knife attack, we'll have a new temporary CAG."

Hamilton had heard scant details about what had happened to Captain Reese "Spartan" Pittman, she made a mental note to find out how he was doing when she got the chance.

"Who's going to be the new CAG?" she asked.

"A squadron leader from the _Helios_, Captain Rockwell Alston, has been selected to be the fearless leader of us pilots."

"I haven't heard of him; should be interesting to see how it plays out."

Banks took a drink of his water and said, "It should be, so what's your news?"

"I'm going to be a mom," she said, unprepared for Larsen Banks to promptly spit his water across the room at the mention of _that_ piece of news.

**Two Hours Later, **_**Ventura**_**, Michael Fowler's Quarters:**

In the small sitting area of the suite, occupied by the Fowler family on the space liner _Ventura_, Michael Fowler sat talking with Aurelia Gilliam. In the early days, following the Cylon attacks, he had been elected as the new Vice President of the Colonies. With David Rush's decision to abandon the title of President and use 'Governor' in deference to Laura Roslin, Fowler had been relegated to the simple title of 'Lieutenant Governor'.

"Michael, you know you should have been the one to take charge of the civilians instead of Rush. For the life of me I will never understand why you chose not to fight for what was rightfully yours," Gilliam said after taking a sip of freshly brewed tea.

"It was far from simple. The fallout from the Alonzo scandal made me too 'radioactive' in the eyes of the military. There was no way to win that fight."

"What gave them such an edge against you?"

"They had all the guns."

"From one party member to another, we need a Federalist in charge of the government. The Nationalists are simply too dangerous to be given the reigns."

"Aurelia, you will hear no argument from me. What can we do about it though?"

Gilliam smiled at him, "I believe there are still avenues we can pursue to make the changes needed."

"There's no way the Quorum can depose a sitting president, even if that person no longer has the title, as in Mr. Rush's situation."

Gilliam was quiet for a moment, and then said, "I have read the works of Tom Zarek, a freedom fighter and a man who was imprisoned for standing up to the corrupt government of the Colonies. We must use any means necessary to create the change needed."

Fowler shook his head, "You're going into dangerous territory here."

Gilliam pressed on, "There are others on the Quorum who feel as I do toward Rush and the Admiralty."

"Think about this…," Fowler said; but Gilliam cut him off in mid sentence.

"You have General Hyde, who murdered my people back home simply for holding a peaceful demonstration. You have Admiral Kronus, who is too old to be a suitable frontline officer. Not to mention his lackey, Admiral Tolan, a man who is as ruthless as the rest of that family of gangsters he comes from." She saw that Fowler was about to say something, but did not give him the chance to speak. "Let's not forget that he assaulted Hector Alonzo, and we refuse to forget his threat to fire nuclear weapons at the _Olympica_,which would have killed thousands of innocent people."

"You are talking about plotting to remove the highest-ranking person in the civilian government of this fleet, and maybe even the highest-ranking military leaders. What will you accomplish by doing this?"

"We need the right people in power to make the decisions we know to be correct. We need good Federalists in the positions of authority. The Federalist Party is the party of progress, the one that looks to the future and knows the government can provide all the needs of the people. The Nationalists want a small government so the military can run roughshod over our basic rights; they are the party of the past and they know it." Gilliam tried to convey her conviction as best she could.

"Speaking in theory here, if I were to go along with this… just who on the Quorum would support you?"

"We have seven of the twelve positions filled by Federalists who would gladly support you. Though I have a request for you, a favor is probably more like it."

"If I were to go along with this plan, what would this favor be?"

Gilliam smiled at him, "Get Chris Alonzo away from the Colonial Fleet. I considered his father a friend, and I want him away from the influence of those warmongers."

Fowler had no intention of going along with the plans, but if he walked away from this, then he was certain Gilliam would take a different track to accomplish her goals. That would, more than likely, end up with him becoming a liability instead of an asset.

"I'll pull whatever strings I have to in order to make this happen," he said. This would give him a chance to give David Rush and either Admiral Kronus or Tolan a heads-up on this brewing plot.

**Five Hours Later, **_**Olympica, **_**Aurelia Gilliam's Stateroom: **

"When I told you to have well-exercised hands, you took that to heart," Gilliam said as she lay on the bed in her stateroom, her bare back being massaged by Eli Hunter. Hunter served as her aide and lover whenever she was in the mood.

"Considering the day you had, I thought it would be the proper thing to do;" Hunter said. He was thirty-four, only eight years younger than the Quorum representative he served.

"I needed this, Eli; I've had to do everything except draw a line in the sand."

"What brought this sudden change in you? Just the other day you were concerned with just trying to get along with David Rush. Now you're on some sort of vendetta."

Anyone else might have gotten a sharp rebuke from her, but she knew Eli had a tendency to keep her honest. "It's all due to General Alice Hyde. It was too much to ask the bitch to die in the Cylon attacks. She had to survive and make a return into my life."

"Iambe," Hunter stated, more fact than question.

"Every day that she lives and breathes the air of a free woman is a slap to the face of my people. She needs to be tried, convicted, and executed for murder. David Rush is too weak to see that happen."

"There is not much you can do about it. There are many more pressing things that need to be taken care of."

"Before I called you, I went and paid another visit to Rush. I got a majority of the Quorum to go along with me on several proposals that I think will be beneficial to our cause."

"Such as?" Hunter asked, wondering what this woman was starting.

Gilliam smiled and let out a contented sigh, "The immediate arrest of Alice Hyde, it should be carried out even as we speak."

"How did you convince Rush to go along with that?" He asked incredulously.

"I like to think he realized that it's better to have me as an ally than as an enemy. Not that it matters, I still want to take him down and replace him for good. I think he's agreeing to this simply to make me happy, and to tell you the truth…it is working."

"She's going to face a military court?"

She rolled over and looked him in the eyes, "No, she is going to receive a civilian trial."

"You do know how to play the game of politics," he admitted.

She sat up and kissed him, "I'm good at what I do."

_**Colossus, **_**Wardroom:**

Admiral Carter sat in the wardroom with Generals Hyde and Maxwell. Kronus had assigned him the task of helping along the negotiations. He had asked Kronus why he was chosen for it. The old war veteran informed him that the presence of the tallest, meanest looking Gemenese, he had ever met would help things along. It seemed to have done the trick; the generals had at last come to an agreement on combining their forces for the upcoming Ostarsis mission.

"I knew if we sat you two in here you'd come to an agreement." Carter said with more than a hint of satisfaction.

"Admiral Kronus locked us in this room, posted two guards at the door to make sure we stayed here, and threatened dire consequences if we did not find a way to work together." Hyde said.

"His methods may have been a bit…harsh, but I prefer to look at the big picture," Carter said.

Before anyone could speak, the voice of the ship's communications officer came over the loudspeaker informing him that he had an incoming call from David Rush. He went over to the wall and picked up the receiver.

"Carter," he said tersely, wondering what could be going on.

"Admiral Carter, I wish I could say that this was a pleasant call to make."

"Don't start talking like a politician…Tell me what's going on."

There was a pause before Rush said, "Aurelia Gilliam, the Sagitaron member of the Quorum of Twelve, has been making a lot of noise about General Hyde. She's been trying to stir up trouble, and basically throw a wrench into your plans."

"Understood; now what is the point?"

"In order to pacify her, I'm going to have to arrest General Hyde and put her through a civilian trial for what happened during the Iambe Protests."

Carter felt the dull ache in his head growing more severe, "You have got to be kidding me!"

"Calm down, Admiral; there is more to this story. I have it own great authority that Miss Gilliam is planning a coup. Until I can get concrete evidence of this, I need to throw her a bone."

"Hyde is the bone that will pacify her?" Carter asked, with more than a hint of skepticism in his voice.

"I'm afraid it is just what I need. I've already spoken with _Olympica_ Security; and they will hold her until her trial begins. That will also be on the _Olympica_, and it will be a civilian court as opposed to a military one."

"I don't like this; I'm sure Kronus won't either." Carter said, not making an attempt to mask his irritation.

"I know, and I don't expect you to. If I can mollify the opposition until you get this rescue mission of yours underway, then that would accomplish something."

"Anything else you'd like to tell me?"

"I'm reassigning Chris Alonzo; he will now head the staff of Lt. Governor Fowler."

"Can I ask why?" Carter hoped that it was not something Chris Alonzo had asked for. The young man had been nothing short of a punk when he first reported for viper training onboard the _Sphinx_. Since then he had become a model officer, and had finally turned the proverbial corner.

"Michael Fowler is my source of information. If Gilliam thinks he is willing to play ball with her plans, then that will help to set her up before she can cause some real damage."

He began to feel as though he had no choice in the matter, "I'll play ball with this; just let me get the general transferred to the _Olympica_."

Carter said nothing, simply slamming the phone down and exhaling a deep breath that in no way hid the sense of anger and frustration he was feeling.

"Admiral Carter, I take it the news is bad," Alice Hyde said.

"That's putting it mildly."

_**Victorious, **_**Sick Bay:**

Lacey Tolan knocked on the door to the room, wondering if the person inside was still asleep.

"Enter," she heard a voice say. Opening the door, she walked in to see Chris Alonzo sitting up in his bed, a book in his hands looking about half-read.

"Chris!" she said taking in the bruised face that barely looked like the young man she had come to know.

"Hey, Lace! I was hoping you'd come and see me. Believe me, it look worse than it feels."

She pulled up a chair and sat down, "It looks pretty bad…I didn't think I would ever see you again." Lacey grabbed desperately at his arm, holding it tightly.

"Just having you here brings tears of joy to my eyes. That may have been over the top, but I was thinking of you a lot."

"Not to get too mushy, but I really missed you and I couldn't help be worry my brains out over you, especially when I heard you had been kidnapped by the Cylons."

"Yeah…I don't really want to talk about that right now."

She gave him a reassuring smile, "Alright then, what do you want to talk about?"

"Michael Fowler came by here to visit me…He offered me the job of being his personal assistant. Considering he's the Lt. Governor that may not seem so important; but I think he's trying to do it as a favor because of who my father is."

"Are you going to take it?" Lacey asked, rubbing her fingers over his arm lightly, drawing circles on his skin with fire.

"There is a part of me that wants to take it. Right now that part is winning. I cannot begin to tell you what I went through with the Cylons, I honestly don't know if my head is still in this. I took an oath to the Colonial Fleet, but can I still uphold it to the best of my abilities. Sorry Lace, I'm just feeling confused right now."

She reached over and held his hand, "If I could kiss it and make it all better, Chris, I would do it in a heartbeat."

He seemed to force a smile, "Well, there are parts of my face that still hurt."

She had to suppress a laugh, imagining many cheesy movie scenes that had followed this direction, "Alright, you tell me where it hurts and I'll kiss it better."

Chris pointed to his forehead and she stood up and gave him a kiss there. He then pointed to his right cheek and she gave him a kiss there as well. Before he could point anywhere else on his face she kissed him on the lips, remembering this feeling that she thought she would never experience again.

When they parted he said, "I didn't point there."

Running her index finger over his bottom lip, she smiled at him, "I know you didn't; but it was going to lead there."

The smile that came to his face was not forced, but mischievous. Seeing it spread to his eyes, she leaned down and planted another on him.

**Ostarsis, Dia Griene Hotel:**

"The plan worked!" Number Five, more commonly known as Aaron Doral, exclaimed.

"That's great! At least we've had a plan work like it was supposed to, and it only took you how many months to pull it off?" Number One said sardonically.

"We discovered where that resistance cell is hiding at – We've been waiting for this!"

"Well, don't leave us in suspense any longer!" One shot at him.

"The prisoner you released led us right to them, just as you had hoped she would."

"Are we going to recapture them?" Number Eight asked.

"They could be valuable for my research," Four stated.

"We'll find more humans for that; we're just going to kill them and be rid of them once and for all," One said, before waving his hands in the direction of the centurions by the door to the conference room. "Well what are you waiting for? Go crush, kill, and destroy with extreme prejudice!"

"I'll go with them," Five said, getting up and heading off to go lead the attack.

**Fifty-Two Minutes Later, Ostarsis Resistance Headquarters:**

"That's the last of the supplies," Shane Cornell announced to Jesse Quinn and Bridget Woods after his inspection of the caves that had been their homes for the past seven months.

"Everyone has been accounted for. I think we're ready to set up in the bunker until help arrives," Quinn said.

Bridget was going to add in her two cubits when a loud explosion rocked the outside of the cave. She looked and through the dust saw a glimpse that horrified her.

"Cylons!" she shouted, backing away from the entrance.

"Come out and you won't be harmed!" a male voice announced.

"Woods, get in the bunker and seal the doors!" Quinn ordered.

"Like hell!" Woods exclaimed.

"Listen, the Cylons are about to come through the cave entrance. One of us can hold them off while the other sets the explosive charges to seal this cave. We cannot let them discover the bunker."

Woods was about to speak, but realized it was the best chance the Resistance had. Wordlessly, she nodded and ran towards the bunker doors. She looked back when she reached the hallway and Quinn had begun exchanging fire with the Cylons while Cornell wired the firing charges into the master remote. She made eye contact with Cornell and he nodded to her. She made it to the door, closed it behind her, and waited as a deafening boom resounded outside. The sound of tons of debris falling down came next. Bridget pressed herself against the door, unable to move and breathing heavily.

There was still one way in and out of the bunker, but it could only be used one time for risk of the Cylons discovering it. For however long it took the Colonial Fleet to come to their rescue, the Kria Bunker was their home and there was no leaving it anytime soon.

**Dia Griene Hotel:**

"The Resistance has been destroyed," Five reported.

"How can you be sure?" Six asked.

"We unloaded enough artillery into that cave to obliterate it. Whoever survived our attack will have no chance."

"Great work! Though I'd be more impressed if I hadn't have had to do all the legwork for you. You spent all these months telling me that you could find the Resistance without my help. Looks like I was right after all." One exclaimed, a satisfied smile coming to his wrinkled face.

"Do you think we've kept our guests waiting long enough?" Four asked.

"I suppose we have. Go ahead and send them in."

A second later the door opened, and in walked Admiral Kimmel and Hector Alonzo.

"Not only did you lose a baseship, but you lost the battle to the Colonial Fleet. I would think that you'd have a bit more success against three battlestars," One said with ill-hidden condescension.

"We had the battle won. The last thing we expected was for reinforcements to arrive," Hector said, hoping to defend his actions during the battle.

"How big were the reinforcements?" Four asked.

"Big enough, Brother," Kimmel said to his fellow Four.

"You have a chance to redeem yourselves," One declared. "We have your reports from before you left the Fleet, and we have concluded that the Colonials will attack Ostarsis. The two of you will take the remaining baseships, and lead a defensive taskforce to welcome our guests."

"We'll finish the job this time!" Hector said.

"For you sake, I hope so." One said with more than a hint of menace.

_(Author's Note: With that we end Volume Two. I know there were some plotlines left open, but I can assure you that they will come into play later on. Volume Three will mainly deal with the rescue of the prisoners from Ostarsis, and I hope it does not disappoint. I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to read this story, those who have helped me with editing, and those who have left reviews. Expect the first chapter of Volume Three around the end of December or mid-January at the latest. )_


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